Amid a campaign that has seen the veteran center fielder take one trip to the disabled list, play at multiple minor league levels during a prolonged rehab stint and shuttle in and out of the lineup as he continues to wrestle abdominal issues, Cameron's first legitimate hot streak in a Red Sox uniform has become lost in the shuffle.
First, the 37-year-old went 3-for-3 with just his second home run of the season Wednesday in Tampa Bay, but it came during the team's fourth straight loss. Only the negatives were noticed on that night.
Then, against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, Cameron's second straight big night was just a small portion of a 14-3 rout. His home run was one of four hit by Boston and his streak of six straight hits over the two games is nothing more than a footnote after the Sox scored 13 of their runs in a remarkable outburst between the second and fourth innings.
That's not to say Cameron's recent performance does not loom large. This is a proud player who was recently rumored to be contemplating shutting it down for an extended period of time, only to suddenly find the stroke and, seemingly, a relative degree of health.
"You just kinda get in sync a little bit," he said. "I haven't had to work as hard on the body because it's starting to feel a little bit better. That's always a good thing because it's … one less thing I have to worry about."
While the contributions from guys like Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava have been more than the Sox could've dreamed of, the outfield has completely lacked stability in 2010. If Cameron can find a way to stay on the field for a good portion of the remaining games and provide some semblance of the player who averaged 22 home runs and 29 doubles and has won three Gold Glove awards over the last nine years, the club will be in much better shape.
After going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored Friday night, Cameron's average was up to .291, the highest it had been since before his DL stint in mid-April. Although they have been spaced out a bit to allow him to rest and recover, he is batting .333 (18-for-54) with three homers, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored over his last 14 starts. The one-time All-Star is batting .478 (11-for-23) with each of his three home runs against lefties.
"Sometimes you just start feeling good, you know," he said of the turnaround. "You just fix a couple things and you see the ball a little bit better and maybe put a better swing on the ball and good things happen sometimes."
While his words suggest that nothing major has occurred, the aforementioned numbers tell another story, especially from a guy who didn't get his first RBI until May 30 and drove in just two runs in his first 24 games in Boston.
"He's healthy, he looks healthier when he's not inhibited by that [abdominal issue]," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "You can kinda see that player that we like."
Francona is, in fact, seeing it in all phases of Cameron's game. In addition to his resurgence at the plate, Cameron has looked much more comfortable while playing center field, the real reason he was courted by Boston in the first place. His abdominal issues made him look stiff and slow at times early on, but he is getting back on balls much easier and had a diving grab in Tampa Bay that few would be able to pull off with any sort of significant pain in the midsection.
The improved play by the effervescent Cameron does not mean he will be in the lineup every night until he cools off. It has taken plenty of patience on his part and by the team itself to get him to this point, and such an approach will remain in place to ensure he is still productive down the stretch.
"We gotta keep an eye on him," added Francona. "I think he's understanding of the situation and how to deal with it a little bit better. But he's not so restricted and when he's not you can see what he can do."
It's something the Sox hope to see plenty of going forward, whether anyone notices or not.
