The Boston Red Sox have had an eventful Spring Training. From infield drama to pitching injuries the Red Sox’s annual trip to Fort Myers hasn’t been short on excitement and some of the storylines could find their way into Opening Day.
One of the biggest has been the health of Brayan Bello. The right-hander has been dealing with a shoulder issue for the majority of Spring Training but it hasn’t been considered a big deal. But with the Opening Day matchup with the Texas Rangers approaching, Alex Cora may admit that time is running out.
Red Sox Pitcher Brayan Bello Running Out Of Time For Opening Day
Cora addressed Bello’s status when talking to reporters on Sunday morning. While he continued to maintain that he’s close to resume throwing, he also admitted the reality of the situation when it comes to his chances of making the Opening Day roster.
Brayan Bello to throw another bullpen session tomorrow. Will he be ready for the start of the season on March 27?
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 2, 2025
Alex Cora: “He’s behind. But I think he's been itching to throw for a while, so we took care of him, and hopefully doing that, he can actually not catch up, but be…
“He’s behind. But I think he’s been itching to throw for a while,” Cora said. “So we took care of him, and hopefully doing that, he can not catch up, but be available early in the season. We’re still shooting for him to be on the Opening Day roster, but obviously it’s March 2 now.”
The Red Sox addressed their starting rotation last winter by acquiring Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox and signing Walker Buehler in free agency. But Lucas Giolito continues to take it slow after missing all of last season after undergoing elbow surgery and Kutter Crawford’s status for Opening Day is in doubt after aggravating a patellar injury while working out during the offseason.
With everything going on, it would nice to have Bello to start the season. The righthander posted a career best 14-8 record with a 4.49 ERA last season and was third on the team with 162.1 innings pitched.
Boston also has Tanner Houck, who is coming off his first All-Star appearance last season and most teams don’t use a fifth starter as scheduled days off and rainouts are prevalent throughout the opening month of the season.
Still, Bello’s injury has consistently held him back this spring and will be worth monitoring before the Red Sox open the season in Arlington on March 27.