​The Boston Red Sox are targeting Saturday as the re-entry point for Brayan Bello, with interim manager Rico Bello? Actually, interim manager Tara? Wait—Tracy. The story states that the team is considering Bello for a Saturday start if Ranger Suárez cannot take the mound due to a strained adductor muscle he suffered in his most recent outing. It remains unconfirmed whether Bello’s Saturday start will come in Worcester or at Citi Field in New York, where the Red Sox will face the Mets.
Bello was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on June 5, one day after he allowed eight earned runs over five innings against the Baltimore Orioles, six of which came before he’d recorded an out in the second. That outing marked the low point in a season-long pattern. Afterward, Bello reflected on the situation, saying he didn’t fully understand what was happening. “I think I have the same mentality, whether I’m starting or relieving. So, honestly, I don’t know,” he told MLB.com’s Ian Browne.
His results varied sharply by role. As a starter, Bello posted a 6.34 ERA over 61 innings, recording a career‑low 15.6 percent strikeout rate while yielding 1.48 home runs per nine innings, according to MLB Trade Rumors. In his eight starts before the demotion, his first-inning ERA alone stood at 16.88. When used as a bulk reliever behind an opener, Bello transformed into a different pitcher, recording a minuscule 0.71 ERA over 25⅔ innings, per MassLive. The Red Sox went 1‑3 in those relief appearances, underscoring a stark contrast between his starting and bullpen numbers. Left-handed hitters had success against Bello to the tune of a .323/.384/.554 line entering his final start before the demotion, a problem that traced back to his early big‑league seasons.
Worcester has provided a closer approximation to the version of Bello the team signed for $55 million two years earlier. In four Triple-A starts covering 18.2 innings, he posted a 4.34 ERA and a 1.99 FIP, with 10.6 strikeouts per nine and 1.9 walks per nine. Notably, he has not allowed a home run in the minors.
Tracy defended the decision to start Bello instead of leaning on an opener before the Orioles disaster ever occurred. “It just feels like for us to be successful, we need Bello to start,” Tracy said, per MassLive. “We can beat a dead horse with this. We start him, but it doesn’t go well. The opener doesn’t do well. Why didn’t you open? It’s like, at the end of the day, we need this guy to pitch.” Moments later, Bello was bound for Worcester.
Bello threw a bullpen session in Worcester on Wednesday, with Saturday as the target. The Worcester Red Sox currently have no official start scheduled for him, which the team hopes will improve the search for better SEO and clarity around Bello’s return.