Red Sox May Need to Make Brayan Bello Move When Garrett Crochet Returns

The Boston Red Sox have so much pitching at their disposal when healthy.

Apr 29, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's starting pitching depth has taken hit after hit this season due to injuries, but things are starting to trend in the right direction.

Boston got Sonny Gray back from the Injured List on Wednesday and he tossed five shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers. On Thursday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Trady shared that Ranger Suárez is "progressing," although it's still unclear if he will make his next start. Also, Garrett Crochet has begun throwing and is making progress as well, as shared by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe on X.

"Tracy says Roman Anthony is still sore and will probably land on the injured list so Sox aren’t shorthanded for the next 4-5 days," Speier wrote. "Mickey Gasper is coming up. Ranger Suárez is 'progressing,' but Sox aren’t sure if he’ll make his next start. Crochet is throwing on flat ground at 60 feet."

What Should The Red Sox Do?

Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws against Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 4, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is progress. When the Red Sox entered the season, there was a lot of chatter about how Boston had one of the best rotations in baseball on paper. There was so much depth that Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett began the season down in the minors and both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are working their way back as well. Boston started Johan Oviedo in the bullpen to begin the season, despite the fact that he looked like a lock for the rotation throughout camp. Connelly Early pitched well enough to beat him out for the job.

Since then, injuries have popped up left and right. Oviedo and Crochet are on the Injured List. Crawford and Sandoval are still on the Injured List. Suárez is still a bit up in the air. So, the Red Sox's rotation currently looks like Tolle, Early, Bennett, Gray and Brayan Bello. The guys have stepped up, though, and soon enough they will be closer to full strength.

Now, that Boston has seen the performances of guys like Tolle and Bennett, what should the rotation look like when everyone is healthy? Crochet, Suárez, Gray and Early are your locks. They aren't going anywhere. That fifth spot is worth watching. Arguably, it should come down to Bello and Tolle. When Bello is at his best, he's great. He had a 3.35 ERA in 2025 in 29 appearances. So far this season, he has a 7.44 ERA in seven appearances. He did have his best outing of the season on Tuesday while coming in behind an opener. Bello pitched seven innings against the Detroit Tigers and allowed just one run.

Tolle, on the other hand, has a 2.04 ERA in three starts. Right now, Boston doesn't have to make any decisions, but if Tolle is still rocking an ERA just a tick above 2.00 when Crochet returns, it's going to be very difficult to keep Bello in the rotation over him.

If Tolle continues pitching at this level, it will be nearly impossible to take him out of the rotation. In that scenario, the Red Sox could easily pair him with one of the younger guys as a bulk inning guy out of the bullpen, like Oviedo was going to be. This is a good question to have and is something the club doesn't have to sort out yet. But, progress is being made with the injured guys.