Brayan Bello gives update on return to mound for Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are planning to begin the 2025 campaign without three of their six starting pitchers. Brayan Bello is one of the three guys who will not be…
Sep 19, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello (66) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesThe Boston Red Sox are planning to begin the 2025 campaign without three of their six starting pitchers. Brayan Bello is one of the three guys who will not be ready to go for Mar. 27's opening series with the Texas Rangers.
Bello has missed most of spring training due to shoulder soreness he noticed early on. But his stint on the 15-day injury list is expected to be short-lived, and the team believes he will return to the mound early in the season. Bello met with the media on Tuesday to reiterate his improving status.
"By next week I should be up to four or five innings," Bello said through a translator, via Christopher Smith of MassLive. "There’s a plan in place. So hopefully, by the first or second week of April I’ll be back in."
Bello's recovery seems to be moving in the right direction. The 25-year-old has dealt with injuries in the past, so the team has decided to be ultra-conservative with his timeline to return.
David Butler II-Imagn Images<sup>Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.</sup>
Despite the pitcher telling the media he is becoming "more and more confident," and that he feels "no pain anywhere," he will not travel with the team to Texas.
"I’m going to stay back here, pitch in the backfields, work my way up — three, four, five innings," Bello said. "I’m not going to be with the team on the road but God willing I’ll be able to be with the team in Boston."
Bello has compiled a 28-27 record, through his 376.2 innings pitched, and a 4.42 ERA during his three years in the majors. He received a higher workload in 2024 pitching nearly half of his career innings (162.1). He was decently effective with a 14-8 record and 153 strikeouts in his increased role in 2024. However, his ERA was 4.49, which is slightly higher than his career average, but not a massive decline.
Upon his return, Bello has high expectations for himself. The Red Sox will certainly benefit from having him healthy and performing at his best 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.
