The Boston Red Sox are officially back on track following a brief slump. Wednesday's 1-0 win over the rival Tampa Bay Rays saw the Red Sox improve to 3-1 in their last four games, bumping their season record to 10-10 — good for third in the AL East — as they approach a much-needed day off on Thursday.
One thing that's stopped the Red Sox from reaching their full potential is the club's injury situation, especially when it comes to their pitchers. Several hurlers have yet to make their 2025 debuts due to various ailments, leaving time to tell when Boston's pitching staff will finally be at full health.
Although some of the group isn't close to returning to the mound, the Red Sox did receive some promising news regarding a pair of pitchers on Wednesday evening.
Red Sox Injury News: Brayan Bello, Liam Hendriks Could Make 2025 Debuts Next Week
There's a good chance that injured pitchers Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Liam Hendriks (elbow) could be making their 2025 debuts within the next week. The duo made another rehab appearance with Double-A Portland on Wednesday night, and all signs point to the duo joining the Red Sox soon (barring any setbacks).
Before the minor-league contest, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MassLive's Christopher Smith that there was a "pretty good chance" that Wednesday's contest would be Bello's final rehab start. The 25-year-old RHP went on to allow four earned runs on six hits while striking out even batters across 4 1/3 innings of work.
“Pretty good chance” Brayan Bello will be back early next week after his rehab start for Portland today, Cora said
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) April 16, 2025
Assuming he doesn't make another appearance, Bello finishes his rehab stint with a 7.71 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 14 innings in four starts. It isn't the performance Red Sox fans hoped to see, especially after the Dominican starter recorded a career-high 14 wins with a 4.49 ERA in 30 starts last season.
Perhaps rejoining the Red Sox for some meaningful games will inspire Bello to return to form.
Meanwhile, Hendriks struck out a batter with one walk issued in a scoreless sixth-inning appearance. The appearance now leaves him with five strikeouts in three rehab innings so far, which is likely playing a big role in the veteran righty feeling confident that he can make his Boston debut in the next few days.
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan,” Hendriks said about being activated this weekend, per Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. “Obviously, the powers above me will decide all that sort of stuff, but that’s the plan as of now.”
Hendrik's presence would bring some extra leadership to the Red Sox's pitching situation. The three-time MLB All-Star owns a 3.82 ERA across 650 innings in 476 career outings (44 starts) but hasn't played since the 2023 season due to a nagging injury history.
The Red Sox will be a better team with Bello and Hendriks playing to their potential. Hopefully, the pitching duo has finally put their injury woes in the rearview so that they can help put Boston back in the championship conversation.
Speaking of which, the Red Sox are currently in a three-way tie for the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+2000) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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