Kristian Campbell expected to start at first base this weekend: ‘Credit to him'
The Kristian Campbell first base experiment is about to begin. On Wednesday, manager Alex Cora told reporters in Milwaukee that Campbell could start at first base for the Red Sox this weekend in Atlanta.
The news came prior to Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers in 10 innings. Campbell, playing at second base, made an errant throw home, allowing the tying run to score before a sacrifice fly gave Milwaukee the victory. The Red Sox have lost five straight, including their last two in walk-off fashion.
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Injuries and inconsistency from the lineup have the Red Sox trying to piece together their regular lineup. Campbell, a 22-year-old rookie infielder, began working out at first base two weeks ago as the Red Sox sought to expand his versatility in the wake of Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury.
Campbell has started 40 games at second base, six in center field and one in left field since his MLB debut in March, but he has never played at first base, even in the minors. Nevertheless, he was eager to take on the new challenge when the Red Sox presented it to him at the beginning of the last homestand.
'Whatever makes the team better, that's the position I play,' he said last week. 'I'm used to second base because that's what I played in college. But whatever makes the team better at the time.'
First Base Coach/Infield Instructor José Flores mic'd up as Kristian Campbell continues his work at first base 👀 pic.twitter.com/YtnTKGsXCh
— NESN (@NESN) May 21, 2025
When Campbell began working out at first base it was viewed as a way to open second base for top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer. But that was before Alex Bregman went down with a severe quad injury, necessitating Mayer's promotion last weekend.
Mayer rose through the Red Sox system as a shortstop, but has only started at third base since his debut. He's moved over to shortstop in two games as a defensive replacement.
In the wake of Casas' injury, the Red Sox have cycled through Nick Sogard, Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez at first base. Gonzalez has been on the injured list for the last few weeks following a collision at first base he suffered shortly after Casas' injury. Gonzalez is expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. In the meantime, Campbell may start to see regular reps at first, but Cora said he won't be playing there every day.
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Last week, Cora labeled Campbell as a two or three out of 10 in terms of readiness at first. Infield coach José Flores agreed, but noted Campbell has been quick to adapt.
'I think (his progress at first is) coming along at a decent pace from what probably all of us thought,' Flores said last week.
Flores has worked with Campbell on a near daily basis at first over the last two weeks and has noticed Campbell's athleticism at play, something that hasn't been a surprise given that Campbell has moved between outfield and infield over the last two years in the minors.
Still, Flores said there things they've been more focused on to get Campbell up to speed quicker.
'At first base there's a lot of bag recognition and just working around the bag,' he said. 'There are still those plays that they get caught up in between. And they don't know if they need to go after the ball or just cover first base because the second baseman is going to be able to catch it. Communication with the second baseman, communication with the pitcher, game-stuff like cuts and relays. Where do they need to be? What do I do if it's a ball in the gap with a runner on first base, stuff like that, because when the game starts, it's up to you. We cannot tell you what you need to do or not to. So you need to be able to react.'
Campbell has had the right attitude about it from Flores' perspective.
'It caught my attention, he said this being the first time that he's played first base, everything that he's getting, is the right info,' Flores said. 'He's not being taught anything else other than what we've been teaching him right now. The process will probably be a little bit faster than with others that have played probably a couple of times in there and have gotten a bunch of things from all different coaches.'
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'When you're willing to take on the challenge, even though it's a position that you've never played and that we're asking you to do on the biggest stage there is in baseball, it says a lot about that kid,' Flores said. 'He's all about putting himself in the best position to succeed. And at the same time help the team. So, credit to him.'
Meanwhile, Cora told reporters in Milwaukee there won't be further discussions of Rafael Devers playing third base, but he didn't rule out Devers getting work at first base at some point down the road.
The infield shuffle with Campbell, though, does little in terms of opening space in the outfield for No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony. Cora has discussed center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela playing more in the infield, which could shift Jarren Duran to center and open left field for Anthony. Rafaela or Trevor Story could also be benched when Anthony is promoted given their lack of production at the plate.
There's little reason at this point for Anthony to remain in the minors. Rafaela is second in the majors among outfielders with 10 Defensive Runs Saved, but at some point, the Red Sox will need to sacrifice some defense for what Anthony can provide on offense.
In 49 games in Triple A, Anthony is hitting .318 with a .978 OPS and eight homers.
Campbell's move to first this weekend doesn't necessarily portend an Anthony promotion, but it appears Anthony's big-league debut is drawing year. The Red Sox continue to shuffle the roster around to find a mix that works in an effort to prevent the season from slipping away before they've even reached the halfway mark.
Roman Anthony extends his on-base streak to 24 games.
106.8 mph EV – 362 ft
[image or embed]
— SoxProspects.com (@soxprospects.com) May 28, 2025 at 9:32 AM
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