Red Sox reliever Isaiah Campbell 'got into better shape' looking to win spot in bullpen
Once Craig Breslow was introduced as chief baseball officer by the Red Sox two offseasons ago, he quickly got to work on acquiring pitchers who could go into his new pitching pipeline.
One pitcher he acquired was right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell from the Mariners for infielder Luis Urías.
Campbell’s first season in Boston started out with him making the Opening Day roster out of camp. He looked good out of the gate, allowing just one run in five outings on the Red Sox’ 10-game West Coast road trip. Then Campbell saw the wheels fall off quickly.
The righty got hit hard in two straight outings at Fenway Park against the Orioles and then landed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. Through seven appearances to open the 2024 campaign, Campbell has posted a 12.79 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP.
Once he was healthy, Boston optioned Campbell to Triple-A Worcester before giving him one more shot in Boston, which was short-lived; he was sent back to the WooSox and placed on the Triple-A IL with right shoulder inflammation and was effectively done for the season.
Campbell is in camp for the Red Sox this spring after signing a minor league deal this winter. The 27-year-old arrived at camp healthy, and he’s also 25-30 pounds lighter than last year.
“I got into better shape. Really just tried to figure out some ways to stay healthy for 162 games and keep myself in the best shape to get a chance to help the big league team win some games this year and make the playoffs,” Campbell said to MassLive’s Chris Smith at JetBlue Park. “That was my goal this offseason.”
Campbell said he dropped weight by limiting his calorie intake, but he also got the flu, which helped knock a few pounds off.
“It also helps when you get the flu that everybody got this offseason,” Campbell said. “It got me. Got it for about a week. But yeah, I definitely got in shape. Just really focused on nutrition and the strength side. I’m happy where I’m at coming into spring training.”
Despite getting sick, he kept track of his eating habits, protein intake, and watching his carbs.
“So basically just trying to stay in a calorie deficit throughout the offseason while still getting stronger,” Campbell said. “But still being a kid and having a fun meal of pizza or whatever on the weekend. But yeah, I had a really good plan and stuck to it. It was a good offseason.”
Campbell will be one of many trying to win a spot in the Red Sox bullpen this spring. Liam Hendriks, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Luis Guerrero, Zack Kelly, Zach Penrod, Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock, and Josh Winckowski are all either locks for the bullpen or vying for a role in the ‘pen.
