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The Boston Red Sox are poised to get a boost to their starting rotation. The team will activate pitcher Brayan Bello and he will start Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners.
Bello, who started Opening Day for the Red Sox last year, missed spring training and the start of the 2025 season with shoulder inflammation.
“It helps,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of getting Bello back, per MLB.com's Ian Browne. “We’ve been two guys down, and the other guys have done a good job, but obviously he’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish. Velocity is up, which is very important for us. The action on his pitches is good. We know what he can do.”
Bello made 30 starts for Boston last year, going 14-8 with a 4.49 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 162.1 innings.
“I think he learned a lot throughout the season,” Cora added. “Didn’t start it well. We reintroduced the four-seamer for lefties. I think that was very important. And he learned how to use it. Changed speeds. Velocity was good throughout the season.”
Cora said he hopes Bello can get through five innings in his first start. The righty made four rehab starts, three coming in Worcester and one for Double-A Portland. In that time, he threw 14 innings and gave up 11 runs on 18 hits. He also struck out 21 batters and issued four walks.
The Red Sox have optioned reliever Zack Kelly to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Bello, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive. Kelly last pitched on Sunday, allowing all three batters he faced to reach base — one via a hit and two via a hit by pitch. Boston lost that game, 8-4, to the Chicago White Sox.
As Bello gets back into the groove of pitching in the Majors, the Red Sox should have even more help coming up behind him. Lucas Giolito also started the season on the IL but has made four rehab starts on his road back.
