Few Boston Red Sox prospects' stock rose this season like Kristian Campbell's. The young infielder rocketed through three levels of Boston's farm system this year and jumped from No. 99 to No. 24 in one cycle of Baseball America's prospect rankings.
Campbell was labeled as day-to-day after he was pulled from the Worcester Red Sox's Sept. 11 game with lat soreness. He hasn't appeared in a game since, and his injury status changed on Sept. 17.
The 22-year-old has been moved to the seven-day injured list, which could end his season prematurely. Worcester's final series of the regular season began on Sept. 17 and if it doesn't make the postseason, Campbell's season has already ended.
The Red Sox organization has taken Campbell's injury seriously, as it has also done with Marcelo Mayer. Boston's top prospect has been on the seven-day IL since Aug. 20 as he's been healing a lumbar strain in Fort Myers. Mayer is expected to make his major league debut next season, and it sounds like Boston's player development staff has the same hope for Campbell.
Minor Details: With the minor league season almost done, there's a good chance the Sox will shut down Kristian Campbell (lat strain) ... bringing to an end a remarkable breakout year https://t.co/SAvJnvmlb7 via @BostonGlobe
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) September 17, 2024
Red Sox may end Kristian Campbell's breakout campaign early to ensure healthy offseason
"I think the most important thing for him right now is to go into the offseason fully healthy so he can train this winter," director of player development Brian Abraham said to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. ". . . We're going to make sure we're thinking about the longer term and bigger picture versus the shorter term."
Campbell likely wasn't on the radar for the 2025 big-league squad at the beginning of the 2024 season, but the numbers he's posted have raised eyebrows across MLB. The infielder batted an outstanding .330/.439/.558 with a .997 OPS in 115 games across High-A, Doube-A and Triple-A.
Campbell appeared at second base and shortstop 36 times each this year. He could bring much-needed stability to Boston's second base slot, as 11 different Red Sox have played there this season. His right-handed bat would also diversify the Sox's lefty-dominated batting order.
Ending Campbell's season early seems wise for Boston's future. If he's fully healthy by spring training and posts a performance that rivals his 2024 stats, he could be a key addition to the big league roster sooner than many fans expected.