Alex Cora Provides Update On Kristian Campbell After Lineup Scratch

The Boston Red Sox looked for Kristian Campbell to make an impact in the series finale Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Instead, Campbell watched Boston drop a stinging 4-2 defeat at Rogers Centre from the bench.

Campbell was scratched from the starting lineup just over an hour before first pitch due to right rib discomfort. Following the loss, Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided context surrounding Campbell’s ailment.

“Day to day,” Cora told reporters, per NESN. “He felt it stretching today. So, we decided to shut him down.”

It’s unclear exactly how long Campbell will be out for and if he’ll be available Friday when the Red Sox open up a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.

Campbell shouldered a heavy workload, especially for a 22-year-old rookie, during the first month-plus of the season. He played in 29 of 32 games for Boston entering Thursday, but showed he was up for the task by hitting .301 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and two stolen bases. He also has a .407 on-base percentage.

Rib discomfort can be the sign of a major injury, though. Just over a year ago, Triston Casas was initially labeled to have rib discomfort and Casas missed almost four months due to torn cartilage in his rib cage.

But the good news for the Red Sox is that Cora doesn’t seem all that concerned about Campbell like he was with Casas’ injury last season.