Alex Cora gives update on Brayan Bello’s injury status

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello has been dealing with shoulder inflammation since the start of spring training, but it seems his recovery is moving in the right direction.

"Brayan Bello will have his next bullpen session Thursday," wrote Alex Speier and Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe on Tuesday. Manager Alex Cora saying he is "full go," for the 2025 season, but he also indicated that Bello will likely still need to recover before he is fully ready.

Bello is only 25 years old, but he has dealt with injuries his entire career. So, the Red Sox will understandably take a conservative approach to his rehab. He will be a prominent member of the Red Sox' pitching rotation, particularly late in the year.

"The team doesn’t want to skip steps, so Bello appears likely to start the season on the injured list, though it could be a short stint," continued Speier and Abraham. Cora added: "He’ll be ready when he’s ready. We’re not going to throw him out there when he needs two more outings. ... We’re going to be smart about it. He’s very important for us."

Cora saying the Sox will take the "smart" route to Bello's recovery could be a good sign for Garrett Whitlock's recovery as well. He said earlier in the week that Whitlock will be "100 percent" for the 2025 season. Since his return came sooner than expected, the speculative concern was that his recovery may have been rushed.

However, one now must assume the team implemented the same cautious strategy with Whitlock. Meaning both pitchers should be at 100 percent health and not just "100 percent," playing when they eventually take the mound in 2025.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.