Red Sox starter Brayan Bello provides an update on his shoulder injury; says he ‘felt the pressure early on’ last season following his extension
Brayan Bello was shut down earlier this week after experiencing shoulder soreness.
Imaging on Bello’s right shoulder came back clean, and he will begin to throw again on Sunday. The setback is only minor, and the righty plans to be ready for Opening Day.
“We’re feeling good,” Bello said through translator Daveson Perez on Saturday here at JetBlue Park. “We were in the recovery process. Starting tomorrow we’re going to start throwing again. So it’s all good.”
Bello said he began to feel soreness last week when he was working out at home in the Dominican Republic.
“Came down (to Fort Myers), threw a bullpen, felt the shoulder a little bit, and rather than let it progress to something bad, I decided to speak up, and we just held off for a week, and now I’m feeling good,” said Bello.
Bello enters this season in the second year of the six-year, $55 million extension he signed last March. The right-handed hurler posted a 14-8 record with a 4.49 ERA, 153 strikeouts, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 4.19 FIP.
Bello told reporters he felt pressure last season, feeling the need to live up to his new deal with the Red Sox.
“Yeah, I definitely felt the pressure early on, especially in the first half, just wanting to live up to the contract,” Bello said through translator Daveson Perez. “Second half, a bunch of folks here spoke with me and told me to just take it easy and play my game, and things went really well in the second half.”
Bello was expected to make a big push forward last season, emerging as the Red Sox’ No. 1 starter. While navigating that new role, Bello admitted he let his emotions take over at times.
“The biggest thing I learned is just to not let negativity linger, start to start,” Bello said. “Just kind of shorten it. Not letting the starts snowball when things go wrong is something I’m really working on.”
Boston’s rotation looks completely different as camp breaks this season, lightening the load on Bello, Tanner Houck, and Kutter Crawford. New starters Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and the returning Lucas Giolito will help take the burden off the other starters in 2025.
“I like where we’re at,” Bello said of the Sox’ rotation. “I think we have a bunch of great pitchers. I think it creates a lot of competition, and I think that’s where I thrive. So I’m happy about that.”
