Will Boston Red Sox continue to use Kristian Campbell in cleanup spot?

BOSTON — Kristian Campbell, as just a 22-year-old rookie, is batting cleanup for the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

And it might not be just a one-time thing with Trevor Story (day off) not in the lineup.

“Just trying something different,” manager Alex Cora said before Boston’s rubber game with the Twins. “Putting all those at-bats together, I think it’s going to help. I’m not saying this is the route we’re going but probably we will.”

Campbell will be the fifth different player Cora has used in the cleanup spot this year. Triston Casas, who is out for the rest of the season with a ruptured patellar tendon, leads the Red Sox with 12 starts there. He’s followed by Wilyer Abreu (11 starts), Story (nine starts) and Rob Refsnyder (three starts).

Campbell is second in slugging percentage (.495) among Red Sox hitters behind only Alex Bregman (.596). Abreu is slugging .486. No. 2 hitter Rafael Devers is slugging .451. Story is slugging .393.

This is the highest Campbell has batted in the Red Sox order. He has 14 starts in the sixth spot, 13 starts batting seventh and two starts batting fifth.

Both Abreu and Story have struggled recently. Abreu is 0-for-12 in his past three games.

" Missing his fastball," Cora said. “He was very upset yesterday after the game because he thought he got some pitches to hit throughout the game. I think with Willy, when he’s driving the ball to left-center, he’s on point. When he’s missing his pitches, the effort level goes up. I don’t know if he’s trying too much — trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark, whatever — but early on, it looked very simple. Just touch the ball and hit it the other way. He hasn’t hit the ball the other way in a while.”

Cora said Story — who is 6-for-46 (.130) in his past 11 games — also has been missing fastballs. Cora said it happened throughout the game Saturday.

“Getting fastballs he can hit, fouling them off and then they (pitchers0 expand,” Cora said. “So that’s what’s been going on with him."

Cora said it’s a good day for Story to get a day off because the Red Sox are off Monday. So the shortstop will have two days off in a row.

“Reset, recharge and be ready for Tuesday,” Cora said.

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