BALTIMORE — The news was somewhat of a surprise in a vacuum that the Red Sox optioned starting pitcher Brian Bello, their ultra-talented young righty, to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.
But skipper Alex Cora can’t get out of the vacuum. It deals with the reality of the Major Leagues, in which sometimes you have to make moves for the survival of your pitching staff.
And Cora made it clear that the recent workload required by his bullpen to cover the starting rotation, which entered the day with a 6.61 ERA (29th in the majors) and 109 innings (20th) in 23 games, was a motivator for Bello, who was replaced on the roster by lefty reliever Brennan Bernardino.
“This is it now,” Cora said. “This is not about his future. We know he can pitch in the big leagues. But where we are roster-wise, we have three big league games coming up [in Baltimore]. And if we don’t take this step, we will be in trouble. So that’s the reason. It’s not about development.”
Bello took the news quickly.
“I wasn’t too surprised. I think when things aren’t going your way, sometimes they just might,” Bello said through an interpreter. “Of course it’s disappointing for me. I might have to go down there and start over a little bit and get everything back together.”
Bello, 23, was slowed in the first week of spring training with tightness in his right hand, but his rehab was smooth and he was activated for his first start of the season on April 17.
Bello wasn’t sharp in his debut, giving up five runs on eight hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings in an April 17 loss to the Angels. He was a bit better on Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.
“I think getting a little more confident and trying to fill the zone, trying to throw a lot of strikes. [is key]”Bello said. “I think I did a pretty good job yesterday compared to my first start, but I think that’s something I need to work on and just go out there and try to fill the zone and get my confidence back. should.”
When Bellow was activated, Cora went with a six-man rotation during Boston’s 19-day stretch, which ends Thursday. That left the bullpen one pitcher short.
Both Josh Winkowski and Cooter Crawford have been pitching well for Cora in relief, but they both need about two days of rest each time they pitch.
“I think where we are right now, I think we understand that Wink is a big part of this and Cooter is a big part of this and we have to protect them,” Cora said. “This is a role, this is new for him. Two innings, two days off, might work. Sometimes it takes three days for them to recover. I am ready for that. I think both of them, they deserve to be here. They have been amazing. Content-wise, it makes us good late in games. As you can see, we are not afraid to use it.”
With righty Chris Martin and lefty Joely Rodriguez both on the injured list, Cora threads the needle with a blank bullpen.
For now, Bello’s omission gives Cora the flexibility to reduce his rotation in the coming days. Tanner Hoke, perhaps Boston’s best starter earlier this season, could continue to start. The Sox need starters Corey Kluber and Garrett Whitlock to be more consistent in their upcoming outings. Martin could be back this weekend, which would help the bullpen.
As for Bello, what can he do during his temporary stint in Triple-A?
“We always talk about lefties at this level, he’s going to have to deal with a lot,” Cora said. It can enhance. He can bounce back by elevating the four-seamer. I think he will play. He made some good pitches yesterday. He wasn’t able to get the swing and miss we wanted with [Willy] Adams. He went up, but it wasn’t enough. Although many startups do it there, use it [time]Make adjustments and be ready whenever we need them.
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