It did not work out that way, but when the 2011 spring training slate began, Cameron was in center field once again, and looking no worse for wear.
"On a night when you lose a game and normally you come in and say, 'Well we didn't do this or didn't do this,' because it's spring training I thought that was the exciting part of the night," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Cameron's effort in an 8-4 loss to Minnesota on Sunday night.
The 38-year-old Cameron, who was the designated hitter for a brief spell in the win over Northeastern the night before, made a running catch in his first inning in the field since last July. He then legged out a fielder's choice in the top of the second, easily swiped second base and then motored to third on a grounder. Cameron added an infield single in the seventh, part of a very complete first day of action for the veteran.
"He's worked really hard and he looks like he's free and easy moving around, which is really good," Francona said.
Cameron missed the final 59 games of the 2010 season with a sports hernia that required surgery in August. He will probably get Monday off with Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury all expected to play.
