The Boston Red Sox are optioning right-hander Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester, sources told Dan Roche of WBZ-TV.
Bello, who's been used as both a starter and bulk pitcher this season, made just his second conventional start since the beginning of May on Thursday. He was roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles, allowing eight runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out four over five innings of work. The outing raised his ERA to 6.34 along with a 1.67 WHIP across 61 innings.
The 27-year-old opened the season as a starting pitcher and was expected to be a staple of the Red Sox rotation. After a rocky April, the team began using an opener ahead of him on several of his turns. He experienced far better results working in a bulk role, throwing into the eighth inning in three of his four appearances that began in the second.
| Role | IP | ERA | WHIP | K | BB | Opp. BA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP | 35.2 | 10.35 | 2.21 | 22 | 21 | .365 |
| RP | 25.1 | 0.71 | 0.91 | 22 | 3 | .215 |
Thursday, however, marked the second straight conventional start in which he allowed at least seven earned runs, which led to Bello airing some postgame frustration about how he's seen as a pitcher.
"First of all, just stop talking about bullpen and starting games," Bello said through an interpreter, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. "I've always been a starter, and when I've been successful as a starter, no one asks your question (about) whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games.
"So, just starting from there, just stop that talk, because I'm just having a bad season. That's it. That's it. It's not whether I'm a starter or I'm a reliever. It's just, having a bad season. I know that I can turn it around."
Bello added that he wasn't concerned about possibly being demoted.
"I'm not thinking about that," he said just hours before the reported roster move. "I'm thinking about making my adjustments in the big leagues. I have a big-league contract. That doesn't mean that the bosses will make a decision or 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 was next scheduled to pitch for Boston in some capacity Tuesday in Tampa Bay, meaning the team can choose to fill his roster spot with a reliever until then.
Bello is in the third season of a six-year, $55-million extension with Boston. He's earning $6 million in 2026.
The Red Sox made another pitching move Thursday, acquiring minor-league left-hander Joe La Sorsa from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. La Sorsa, who's spent this entire season with Pittsburgh's Triple-A club, will be activated by the Red Sox before Friday's game against the New York Yankees, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith.
