Red Sox Insider Predicts Whether Boston Will Recall Kristian Campbell
It's been awfully quiet on the Kristian Campbell front of late for the Boston Red Sox.
Boston put Campbell on the opening day roster and rewarded him with a $60 million contract extension after his fantastic 2024 campaign. It was a gamble on youth and upside rising to the occasion, and though early returns were positive, it didn't pay off in May and June.
After an awful seven-week stretch, Campbell found himself demoted to Triple-A, where he's steadily been regaining his confidence. But as he's heated up, time has run out for the 23-year-old to make his return to the majors this season.
Will Kristian Campbell be recalled?
In 52 games since his demotion, Campbell is slashing .280/.390/.430 with seven home runs. The Red Sox have been adamant that he still has more to work on, though. Does that mean a promotion before the end of the season is off the table?
On Wednesday, MLB.com Red Sox insider Ian Browne was asked how likely he believed it was that the Red Sox would recall Campbell at some point this season, and he responded with a pessimistic prediction.
"I think only if a need arises," Browne wrote. "In hindsight, Campbell probably had too much thrown at him too fast given his relatively limited experience in the Minors heading into '25. The team would love for Campbell to keep building his confidence back and take that good feeling into the offseason."
Campbell played a lot of first base when he was initially sent down, but with veteran Nathaniel Lowe added to the major league roster, his opportunity there figures to be almost nonexistent for the rest of the season. He's been playing the outfield almost exclusively since the Lowe signing, which could be a sign that Boston sees his future there in 2026 and beyond.
So if Browne's intuition is correct, it will take some sort of unexpected injury to see Campbell back in Boston this fall. And if that winds up the best way to maximize the team's investment in the young slugger long-term, no one will complain in hindsight.
