Alex Barth
February 17th
Position players haven’t even reported to Fort Myers yet, but injuries are already starting to pile up for the Red Sox. On Friday, two of their starting pitchers had to be shut down during throwing sessions.
One of the two pitchers shut down was 23-year-old righty Brayan Bello. According to multiple reports from the Red Sox spring training complex, Bello experienced “forearm soreness” in his right arm, and as a result has been shut down from throwing until Monday.
Alex Cora: "We shut down Bello until Monday."
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) February 17, 2023
More on Brayan Bello injury update here: https://t.co/nYFBJwM7dD
(courtesy: @RedSox) pic.twitter.com/ArnZBHWQHe
Speaking to reporters later in the day, manager Alex Cora told reporters that Bello’s shutdown was “nothing to alarm,” and that he’s “very confident” Bello will return to throwing on Monday. At this time, no imaging is scheduled in relation to Bello’s injury, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.
Bello made his MLB debut last season, and was the team’s third-ranked prospect at the time of his call-up per SoxProspects.com. He ended up appearing in 13 games with 11 starts, recording a 4.71 ERA and 1.779 WHIP in 57.1 innings.
As the season went on, Bello seemed to find an increased level of comfort on the mound. In six starts in September, he had a 2.59 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. The team will be looking for him to build on that strong finish when the 2023 campaign begins.
Bello wasn’t the only pitcher to leave Friday’s session early though. Nick Pivetta also didn’t make it through. Jamie Gatlin of FOX 13 was the first to note that Pivetta walked off early, tweeting that he “left workouts earlier today with a trainer. He threw a pitch and then crouched down before a trainer came over.”
However, it later came out that Pivetta’s issue likely isn’t due to a new injury. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, “Pivetta has been slowly working back from illness and isn’t yet at full strength physically.” He added that the team believes the issue on Friday “is more illness/stamina-related and not an injury.”
Pivetta was a workhorse for the Red Sox last year in the rotation. He tied for the league lead making 33 starts, going 10-12 with a 4.56 ERA in 179.2 innings.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
