The Boston Red Sox have made their decision with struggling starter Brayan Bello.
Bello, whose woes continued in Thursday’s 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, was sent down to Triple-A Worcester after his start, per WBZ’s Dan Roche. He allowed eight earned runs, six of them in the first inning.
After the game, Bello didn’t respond well when asked about a potential demotion.
“I’m not thinking about that. I’m thinking about making my adjustments in the big leagues,” he said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I have a big league contract. That doesn’t mean that the bosses will not take that into consideration, but I’m a big leaguer. I’m a big league starting pitcher, and I’ll make my adjustments here.”
Bello has a 10.35 ERA as a starter this season (16.88 in the first inning). Oddly enough, entering the game in the second inning after an opener seemed to solve his issues. The 27-year-old has a 0.71 ERA in four games out of the bullpen (two earned runs in 25.1 innings).
Despite that trend, Bello defiantly shut down talks about shifting to a relief role.
“Just stop talking about bullpen and starting games,” Bello said. “I’ve always been a starter. And when I’ve been successful as a starter, nobody has questioned whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games.
“Just stop that talk because I’m just having a bad season. That’s it. It’s not whether I’m a starter or I’m a reliever. I’m just having a bad season. But I know I can turn it around. I always have. And I think I will.”
Bello will have to make his adjustments in Worcester, and there’s no guarantee he’ll have a spot in the starting rotation when he returns to the majors. If and when Garrett Crochet returns from his shoulder and lat injuries, the projected rotation will consist of him, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early.
