Getty

With Garrett Crochet progressing in his rehab, Brayan Bello is under pressure to perform better.

The Boston Red Sox are facing a tough decision concerning their rotation. The struggles of right-hander Brayan Bello have been one of many problems that have plagued the club in a nightmare 2026 season.

Through his first nine appearances, seven of them starts, the right-hander has a miserable 7.16 ERA over 44 innings. Advanced metrics further illustrate how poorly Bello has performed in 2026, with a 6.05 FIP, 6.56 xERA, and 4.60 xFIP.

Those struggles have already led to the Red Sox taking action to mitigate them. The club deployed an opener ahead of the right-hander in his previous two turns through the rotation.

Operating under that approach, the results for Bello have been excellent. Against the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, the right-hander allowed just two runs in 13.1 innings, with 12 strikeouts and two walks. Even though he wasn’t starting those games, he was delivering results akin to a frontline starter.

However, the Red Sox decided to start Bello against the Atlanta Braves instead of continuing what had worked before. It did not go well, as the right-hander surrendered seven runs in five innings in a blowout loss. It blunted the momentum generated from a huge comeback win that evened up the series and continued a frustrating season for the team and its fanbase.

Brayan Bello’s Struggles vs. Lefties Could Force Red Sox’s Hand Again

Perhaps the source of Bello’s struggles in 2026 is his inability to retire left-handed hitters. As a starting pitcher, teams can prepare and load their lineup with opposite-handed hitters to create the best matchups.

Opposing lefties are hammering Bello to the tune of a .333/.407/.616 slash in 2026. To put that into context, the average lefty is putting up similar numbers to Shea Langeliers against the Red Sox starter. Langeliers is third amongst qualified MLB hitters in wRC+ at 176, and is almost a sure bet to start the All-Star Game at catcher for the American League.

With those struggles in mind, the Red Sox went to an opener through the previous two turns in the rotation. Left-handed reliever Jovani Moran started both games, surrendering just one run.

The arrangement made a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Moran has silenced left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .121/.237/.212 slash and a 34.2% strikeout rate. With that type of lefty-killing impact early in the game, it forces teams to consider tradeoffs. That was why the opener situation was so effective in two turns.

Given Bello’s results as a bulk reliever, it makes sense for the Red Sox to deploy that approach again. As long as the club gets favorable results from both Moran and Bello, it’s a strategy that can work indefinitely.

Red Sox Nearing Brayan Bello Decision as Garrett Crochet Nears Return

Another situation that could apply pressure to Bello is Garrett Crochet’s imminent return. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports the left-hander threw a 35-pitch bullpen session at Truist Park. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said that the next step is a two-inning, up-down session on Wednesday, May 20.

It’s still going to be a while before Crochet returns to anchor the Boston rotation. The Red Sox still need to ramp up their ace to a mid-80s or higher pitch count. That’s going to take multiple turns through the rotation to complete.

The Red Sox will have to clear room in their rotation for Crochet at some point. Left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early have earned more opportunities to start. The two rookies have pitched to a 2.05 and 3.21 ERA on the season, although Early’s 4.56 FIP and 4.16 xFIP paint him as a regression candidate. However, his results and metrics have outperformed Bello’s this season.

For Bello, the stakes are pretty clear. He’ll have to prove he can continue to be an effective starter or bulk reliever to justify his spot on the roster. If not, he’ll be the likely player sent to Worcester when Boston welcomes back their Opening Day starter.