The Red Sox have shut down Brayan Bello from throwing after the right-hander experienced forearm soreness following his last bullpen session, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) at JetBlue Park on Friday.
Bello is not scheduled to undergo any imaging at this time. The Red Sox are optimistic that the 23-year-old will be able to resume his program at the Fenway South complex on Monday after taking the weekend off from throwing.
“Nothing to alarm, but obviously, he’s so important to the organization,” Cora said. “He’s important for what we’re trying to accomplish. He’ll be back on his throwing program on Monday.”
Bello informed Cora that the soreness he has experiencing is something that popped up recently and not before he reported to camp earlier this month.
“I talked to him in one of those eye-to-eye, heart-to-hearts,” said Cora. “I was like, ‘Did this happen here or did this happen before?’ He threw a lot of breaking balls in that one, working on stuff. It was kind of a different bullpen for him and he felt it. We’re very confident that Monday he’s back on his throwing program and we’ll go from there.”
Bello, who turns 24 in May, made his major-league debut last July. In 13 appearances (11 starts) for Boston, the Dominican-born hurler posted a 4.71 ERA and 2.94 FIP with 55 strikeouts to 27 walks over 57 1/3 innings of work. That includes a 2.59 ERA (2.70 FIP) in his final six starts (31 1/3 innings) of the season.
Although he has graduated from his prospect status, Bello is still considered to be the Red Sox’ top young pitching talent. As long as the soreness in his forearm does not linger, the righty has a strong chance of making Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation out of spring training.
(Picture of Brayan Bello: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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