Brayan Bello started for the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day of the 2024 season, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on five hits to secure a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
With new ace Garrett Crochet expected to take the mound when the Red Sox face the Texas Rangers on March 27 to open the 2025 season, Bello was not anticipated to receive the Opening Day start again. However, his availability for the early part of the season is now uncertain due to lingering shoulder soreness. Manager Alex Cora provided an update on Saturday morning.
“Bello increasingly looking unlikely ready for Opening Day. Cora: ‘He’s behind’ Still progressing well,” WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford shared on social media.
Bello has yet to pitch in any of Boston’s Spring Training games and may begin the season on the injured list.
This news follows Friday’s report that Gold Glove right fielder Wilyer Abreu is also unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster.
Bello Has Shown Plenty of Inconsistency Over First 2 Seasons
Bello joined the Red Sox as an 18-year-old in July 2017 and made his MLB debut five years later on July 6, 2022.
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds with an above-average changeup, the Dominican right-hander drew early comparisons to Red Sox Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez while rising through the minors. However, his performance in the big leagues has been inconsistent.
In his 2022 rookie season, Bello struggled, posting a 2-8 record with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP over 13 appearances (11 starts). He showed improvement in 2023, finishing 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP across 157 innings in 28 starts. Despite his progress, he remained vulnerable to hard contact, allowing 9.5 hits per nine innings and surrendering a career-high 24 home runs (1.4 per nine innings).
Last season, Bello served as Boston’s de facto ace in a weak rotation and had moments where he lived up to the role. He ended 2024 with a 14-8 record, a 1.36 WHIP, and 153 strikeouts over 162 1/3 innings in 30 starts. However, his ERA rose to 4.49, and while he reduced his home run total to 19, he struggled with command, issuing 64 walks and hitting 11 batters.
Other Candidates to Fill Bello’s Rotation Spot
With Bello increasingly likely to miss at least the first turn through the rotation, the Red Sox have several options to fill his spot.
MLB.com’s Ian Browne recently suggested that 25-year-old Richard Fitts and 24-year-old Quinn Priester are among the leading candidates for the role.
Fitts, originally drafted by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, was traded to Boston in December 2023. He made his big-league debut last season, starting four games and posting an 0-1 record while allowing 19 hits and six runs (four earned) with seven walks and nine strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings.
Priester, a former first-round pick (18th overall) by the Pirates in 2019, appeared in 20 games for Pittsburgh between 2023 and 2024 before being traded to Boston last July. He finished last season with a 3-6 record, a 4.71 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 49 2/3 innings across 11 games (seven starts). His lone Red Sox appearance came in the regular-season finale, where he earned the win against the Rays after pitching five innings and allowing one run on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Whether it’s Fitts, Priester, or another option, whoever replaces Bello (if necessary) is expected to slot in behind ace Garrett Crochet, 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck, two-time All-Star and new acquisition Walker Buehler, and one-time All-Star Lucas Giolito.
