The Red Sox had planned to roll out one of their hottest hitters in Kristian Campbell on Thursday night against the Blue Jays. Instead, they scrambled to rework the lineup less than 90 minutes before first pitch.
Campbell, the 22-year-old rookie whoâs taken Boston by storm, was scratched due to right rib discomfort and watched from the dugout as the Sox dropped a frustrating 4â2 loss at Rogers Centre. The late change shifted Jarren Duran to center field and inserted Rob Refsnyder in left, with Refsnyder also sliding into Campbellâs seventh spot in the batting order.
It was the second loss in three days to Toronto, but the bigger concern is what Boston mightâve lost off the field.
âDay to day,â manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game, according to NESN. âHe felt it stretching today. So, we decided to shut him down.â
Red Sox Rookie’s Hot Start Interrupted at the Wrong Time
Itâs not just that Campbell has played almost every dayâ29 of the teamâs first 32 gamesâitâs that heâs been delivering. Through 123 plate appearances, Campbell was slashing .301/.407/.495 with four homers, eight doubles, 12 RBIs and two stolen bases. Heâd drawn 19 walks, scored 18 runs, and struck out 32 times, showing a patient, mature approach rarely seen from a rookie.
But discomfort in the ribs? That phrase has cursed Boston before.
Last year, Triston Casas was initially diagnosed with rib discomfortâthen missed nearly four months with torn cartilage in his rib cage. Campbellâs case doesnât sound nearly as serious, but the team isnât taking chances. âItâs unclear exactly how long Campbell will be out for and if heâll be available Friday when the Red Sox open up a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park,â writes Christopher Smith of MassLive.
Boston will hope itâs just a minor flare-up and not something that spirals like Casasâ injury did. Even so, losing Campbellâeven for a few daysâputs pressure on a lineup thatâs struggled to find consistency.
The Red Sox aren’t desperate for bodies in the outfield, but they are desperate for stability. Campbell had quickly become one of the few reliable fixturesâboth in the field and at the plate. His absence, however short, is a problem Boston would rather not have right now.
Refsnyder can fill in. Duran can shift over. But the spark Campbellâs been supplying? Thatâs not going to be easy to replace.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Red Sox Injury Scare: Should Fans Be Worried About Kristian Campbell? appeared first on Heavy Sports.