​NEW YORK — Brayan Bello returned to a major league mound on Sunday, stepping into a rare, perhaps one-day role that still showcased his talent. With Payton Tolle slated for a shorter-than-usual outing to protect his workload, Bello served as a piggyback behind the left-hander, helping keep the Red Sox in a game they would later win 3-2. Bello relieved Tolle after Tyrone Taylor’s two-out double in the fourth and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and fanning five. The only mark against him came in the sixth when Francisco Lindor lined a solo homer to the opposite field.
“I thought he was great… I thought he was huge,” interim manager Chad Tracy said.
Efficient as ever, Bello needed just 55 pitches (38 strikes) to record 13 outs. He employed a noticeably different pitch mix, leaning on his changeup 29 percent of the time (up from 18 percent) and his sweeper 29 percent (up from 12 percent), while reducing usage of his sinker and cutter. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.2 mph in a limited sample, a notable uptick from his previous outings. Overall, he generated eight swinging strikes while bridging the gap to closer Aroldis Chapman, who tossed a spotless ninth after the Red Sox tied it at 2-2.
Bello’s promotion came as Boston sought to ease Tolle’s workload heading into the All-Star break. The 23-year-old has logged 99 innings (84 in the majors and 15 at Triple-A) since Opening Day. In 2025 overall, Tolle—coming off his final college season at TCU—threw 108 1/3 innings. He exited after 66 pitches in the fourth, marking only the third time in 15 starts this season that he logged more than 80 pitches.
“I get it,” Tolle said. “Those are decisions for people a lot smarter than me. I’m going to go out there every time and want to compete as long as I can. I want to go as deep as I can, every time, but I get it and understand it. I joked with (pitching coach) Andrew Bailey, ‘I’m going to come yell at you later.’ But I get it because that’s where we’re at right now.”
The future for Bello remains unclear. He had four starts with Triple-A Worcester between his June 4 demotion and Sunday’s appearance. He could be sent back to Worcester for regular work as a starter or remain in the mix for another bullpen outing, perhaps Friday’s doubleheader at Fenway against the Rays.
Bello’s splits are striking. As a starter, he owns a 10.35 ERA (41 earned runs in 35 ⅔ innings). Yet in five relief appearances (all after a one-inning opener prior to Sunday), he’s allowed just three earned runs in 29 ⅔ frames, a minuscule 0.91 ERA as a reliever.
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