Brayan Bello is absolutely dealing in long relief, rocking an insane 0.85 ERA over 50-plus innings coming out of the bullpen. But here’s the kicker, folks: despite those video game numbers, the Red Sox are still scratching their heads about if he can even start a game for them. It’s a wild dilemma, isn’t it? If he was putting up those kinds of stats as a conventional starter, we’d be talking Cy Young contention all day long. Right now, Cam Schlittler of the Yankees looks like he has that trophy locked up, with Sonny Gray projected to finish fifth.
Sandoval’s Blister Trouble Piles On the Pitching Pressure
The whole situation with Bello gets even wilder when you look at Patrick Sandoval. He’s been playing with fire all season, letting baserunners on base like it’s his job, ever since he came back from Tommy John surgery. And finally, it blew up on the Red Sox over the weekend. Turns out, a blister on his left foot, the one he uses to push off the rubber, might be the sneaky culprit behind his struggles all year. If Sandoval heads to the IL or just gets bumped from the rotation for not performing, then Bello’s name is right there for that rotation spot.
Trevor Story’s Comeback and What it Means for the Infield
Chad Tracy, the Red Sox manager, isn’t giving up on Bello as a starter just yet. “Does this mean Brayan can’t start anymore? That’s not the case,” Tracy said. “It’s difficult to ignore how very, very effective he has been coming out of the bullpen in a bulk relief role and taking down innings. So I don’t think that we’ve closed the book on that by any means. It just feels like that’s the way to do it right now.” This team has also been missing veteran Trevor Story, who’s been out since mid-May with sports hernia surgery. After a rough start to the season before hitting the IL, Story is now hoping to return as early as Friday. Tracy wants him back at everyday shortstop, even with his prior struggles.
It’s clear the Red Sox need to figure out their pitching rotation, and pronto. With Sandoval’s health in question and Bello dominating in a role they might not want him in long-term, their next moves are huge for how the rest of this season plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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