...
By Tim Crowley
Sports and Entertainment Network
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Kristian Campbell returned to Triple-A with work to do after major highs and lows in his first few months as a big leaguer with the Boston Red Sox.
Campbell slugged his way through April as the American League Rookie of the Month. May was not kind to him at the plate and Boston sent him down to reset himself by mid-June.
...
Read More on MLB
His success didn't immediately return when he came back to Triple-A with the WooSox, especially while still trying to learn first base. His spark certainly appears to be back following the All-Star break.
Campbell owns a nine-game hitting streak in that span for Worcester with a .368 batting average and a 1.074 OPS. He homered to the opposite field at Polar Park Tuesday night, a sign of his swing returning to form.
"I've been working on trying to stay calm when I'm up to bat," Campbell told Newsweek Wednesday. "Try not to do too much. Try not to be anxious when I'm up there. Try to hit the ball hard and let the rest take care of itself."
Campbell started the season at second base and joined a rotating cast of Red Sox candidates learning to play first base after the season-ending knee injury to Triston Casas. That work continues in Worcester, with Campbell feeling better about his ability to impact the game with his glove.
"It's going good, first base is going really good," Campbell said. "I've enjoyed my time over there. It's going well so far."
Campbell's efforts focus around a return to the show after a work-driven demotion to Triple-A.
"There's definitely an emphasis," Campbell shared. "I keep working hard here getting my swing together and my defense together so whenever the opportunity opens, I'll be ready to go up there and contribute."
He has a guideline to follow after his former Georgia Tech teammate Chandler Simpson did just that earlier this season with the Tampa Bay Rays.
"It's cool to see that," Campbell said. "Obviously, nobody wants to go through it if you don't have to. We all talk about it. I've talked to guys on other teams with stuff that they've been through. It's not a good thing, but it's pretty normal thing, surprisingly, how many people it happens to. It's something that we all go through sometimes. It's good to get your feet back under you."
Back in Boston, the Red Sox caught fire in early July and find themselves as American League contenders entering the final two months of the season. Campbell hopes to join the group again soon and become a difference-maker in a pennant race.
"It's going to be really exciting," Campbell said. "This is my first experience with all that. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes and being part of it. It's going to be fun. The coaches and the staff are going to put us in position to be successful. I think it's going to go well. Boston has a great history of doing good in the playoffs."
More MLB: Yankees Reportedly Acquire Outfielder From White Sox Before Trade Deadline
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines