Brayan Bello Returns to Red Sox Rotation at Critical Time

It has been a roller coaster of a season for Boston Red Sox hurler Brayan Bello and it appears as though his role is shifting yet again.

Bello was obviously in the Red Sox's starting rotation to kick off the 2026 season. Bello mightily struggled and Boston shifted him to the bullpen and had him come in behind an opener. This led to one of the most surprising parts of the 2026 season for Boston. When Bello started a game, he was among the worst hurlers in the American League from an ERA standpoint. But on the other hand, Bello has looked like a completely different guy when coming in from the bullpen.

Back in June, Bello was sent down to Triple-A and eventually returned in July and has been in the majors since, strictly out of the bullpen. That's changing on Monday, though. Boston is set to kick off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels and Bello is going to make his first start since June 4.

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— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 7, 2026

Brayan Bello Is Back In The Rotation

Aug 9, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches during the fourth inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bello will enter his start after two straight tough outings. The righty allowed four earned runs against the New York Yankees on Aug. 29 in 4 1/3 innings. Then, he allowed four runs against the Seattle Mariners on Sep. 2 in three innings of action. Before that, he was excellent since returning to the majors. From July 12 through Aug. 24, Bello logged a 1.23 ERA in 29 1/3 innings of action across eight appearances.

If the Red Sox can get that version of Bello back in the starting rotation, it would be a significant boost for Boston down the stretch. Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett have both been great for Boston, but both have also set new career highs in innings pitched. Sonny Gray has been an ace, but he's 36 years old and Boston needs to make sure that he's fresh for the playoffs, even if that means managing his workload down the stretch. Ranger Suárez had his best start in a while over the weekend against the Baltimore Orioles as he tossed seven shutout innings.

If Bello can return to the rotation and be impactful, that would take some strain off Boston's bullpen and the rotation at the same time. Plus, let's not forget how good Bello can be. Last year, he was a major reason why Boston got back to the playoffs in the first place. Bello, Garrett Crochet and Lucas Giolito carried Boston to the postseason, even when the offense was struggling.

Hopefully, Bello can look like himself form here on out starting the first inning, rather than waiting a few innings to really get going.

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