Cameron Diagnosed with Kidney Stones

After being pulled from Thursday’s lineup complaining of abdominal pain, many feared Mike Cameron had appendicitis. After undergoing tests yesterday, it was determined that Cameron had kidney stones and not a problem with his appendix, which is a huge sigh of relief. A timetable for Cameron’s return has not yet been set, but he will undergo further tests Friday that will give doctor’s a better sense of his health.

With Cameron’s health issue and Jacoby Ellsbury’s abdominal strain, the Sox were forced to place Bill Hall in center field for Thursday’s game, a position he hadn’t played since 2007. Hall did not look comfortable in center and committed a fielding error in the 2nd inning that allowed a run to score. If the Red Sox expect Ellsbury and/or Cameron to be out for much longer, they will almost certainly need to find a solution besides Hall.

The bright spot for the Sox has been Jeremy Hermida, who has relished the role of a starter. Without the injury to Ellsbury, Hermida may not have had an extended chance to prove himself this early in the season. The 26-year old has a .647 slugging percentage, which is 3rd best on the team behind Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek (2 home runs in his only appearance). Hermida has hit near .300 (.294) and has provided a nice spark with 6 RBIs in just 6 games.

Luckily, it seems that both Ellsbury and Cameron will not be out for any extended period of time. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing Ellsbury/Cameron/Drew gain chemistry and get comfortable, because they are all excellent defensive players and could prove to be run-stoppers as the year roles on. They have only played together for a handful of games this year and Ellsbury is learning how to play left-field at Fenway for the first time.

For now, all we can say is get well soon.