The Boston Red Sox have scuffled recently, dropping their last five games, including a sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks, which has dropped them to 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with roughly a month to go in the regular season.
While the Red Sox could benefit from a number of additions to both their lineup and rotation, their offense could use the right-handed bat to help even things out a bit.
When September rolls around, Boston will have two new open roster spots and with the talent down in Triple-A, they have some options, including 2023 fourth-round pick Kristian Campbell.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora says his staff has even discussed the possibility of adding the 22-year-old in the next few days.
“We’ve been talking about it and obviously versatility comes into play,” Cora said (via. MassLive). “We’re very left-handed, too. So trying to create balance. The whole utility, fast guy comes into play, too. So we’ve been talking about it for a few weeks.”
The 22-year-old has had a metoric rise through Boston's farm system, beginning at High-A Greenville at the start of this season and making all the way to Triple-A Worcester. And, he's been doing it all at every level.
In 56 games with Double-A Portland, Campbell hit .362 with a 1.045 OPS, eight home runs, 35 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Now, in five games with Worcester, he's hit .348 with a 1.052 OPS, two home runs, nine RBIs and a stolen base.
While he's playing well, Cora admitted it's probably not the right time for Campbell to make his major league debut.
“We talk about what he’s doing but not in this situation,” Cora said.
So, while that will have to wait, there are plenty of intriguing options for September call-ups.
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