News and notes from around Red Sox Nation.
You’ve probably already seen the pictures by now. Kristian Campbell, heretofore the Red Sox second baseman, working on some first base drills before last night’s game against the Braves:
I wouldn’t say that Campbell looks ugly out there at second, but advanced metrics see him as a pretty poor fielder so far, which should’ve been expected given that he was moved all over the diamond in what was essentially his only year of professional baseball in 2024. Flexibility is never a bad thing, and this could facilitate the promotion of Marcelo Mayer. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe
First base is a new experience for Campbell, but pitching in Fenway Park is something that Chris Sale is plenty used to. The reigning NL Cy Young winner described his return to Boston as like stepping into his childhood home. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
I suppose that would make Alex Cora his dad. Like any parent, Cora was happy to see Sale again and says he still roots for him. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Cora spent part of last night reminiscing about the 2018 World Series, and relayed the story of how Chris Sale ended up in the bullpen for the clinching game against the Dodgers. (Tim Crowley, NESN)
And, like all good hosts, the Red Sox received him with some gifts. In this case, it was some free outs on the base paths. Alex Cora would like to see the team slow things down. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)