Bello raring to return after rehab appearance
PoRTLAND, maine — Red Sox righthander Brayan Bello proclaimed himself ready to return to the big leagues following a 52-pitch, 2„-inning rehab start with Double A Portland against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Tuesday.
Bello (3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 26„ innings this year) was pitching in a game for the first time since April 19. Five days later, he landed on the injured list due to right lat tightness.
Despite unspectacular results Tuesday, Bello said he is pain-free and recovered from the injury. He yielded a solo homer on a cement-mixer slider, plus a pair of doubles, part of a final line of three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks.
But while his fastball and slider command was imprecise, he featured excellent (95-97 m.p.h.) velocity — a reassuring sign for his health — and got several swings and misses against his changeup.
“I feel really good. I feel good physically with the lat,” Bello said via translator Justin Frometa, a Portland development coach. “I feel good with the pitches and the arsenal and weapons. I felt really good with the changeup, the slider, and sinker. For the most part, I feel like I’m in a really good place.
“obviously, I didn’t have the command that I had at the start of the year, but I feel really good, really happy, and overall, I’ll be ready to go [at Fenway against the Nationals] on Sunday.”
The Sox have gone 9-6 since Bello landed on the injured list, and the rotation — despite the absence of Bello, Lucas giolito, Nick Pivetta, and garrett Whitlock — has been a strength. Bello expressed excitement about both the work done in his absence and at the prospect of resuming his contributions to the rotation.
“I’m extremely excited and happy about the opportunity to go back out there,” said Bello, who provided his minor league teammates with a postgame spread of Venezuelan food and took time to sign balls for all of them. “I’m super excited and ready to go.”