The Red Sox are bringing Brayan Bello back to the majors on Sunday, but not in the role many expected.
Bello will join Boston’s bullpen for the team’s final game before the All-Star break, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. That means the right-hander, who has not pitched in a big league game since June 4, will return to the roster as a reliever rather than as a starter.
“Sources: The Red Sox have called up Brayan Bello to join their bullpen for today’s game in NY,” Cotillo wrote.
Bello was sent down to Triple-A after a rough stretch early in the season, when he bounced between the rotation and work behind an opener. There had been talk that he might be back on Saturday to start against the New York Mets, but that never materialized.
Since his demotion, Bello has made four starts in Triple-A and posted a 4.34 ERA. Now he gets another shot in the big leagues, though the assignment is a different one.
The move fits the way Boston handled Saturday’s game. Eduardo Rivera opened against the Mets, and the Red Sox then burned through four relievers: Greg Weissert, Jovani Morán, Justin Slaten, and Danny Coulombe. Afterward, the club designated Coulombe for assignment.
On Sunday, Payton Tolle is scheduled to start, and Boston will need enough arms to finish the game. Bello gives them that option, especially after showing he can be effective in relief-style usage earlier this season. When he pitched behind an opener, he put up a 0.71 ERA across 25 1/3 innings.
He also gives the Red Sox the chance to stretch out multiple innings if needed, which adds some flexibility to a bullpen that may be asked to cover plenty of ground.
For now, Bello’s role beyond Sunday is still up in the air. The All-Star break gives Boston a few days to sort things out, and with Ranger Suárez on the Injured List, it would not be a surprise if Bello gets another look in the rotation after the break. But at least for the finale of the first half, he’s back in the majors with a different job than the one many were waiting for.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Bigger Connelly Early Concern Than Expected
Connelly Early has been on the Red Soxs 15-day injured list since July 1 because of inflammation in his throwing elbow, and the latest checkup at least offered some relief on one front. The follow-up appointment did not point to a structural issue, which is the kind of news Boston needed after a young pitcher goes down with arm discomfort so early in his big-league run.
Still, the bigger concern now is the waiting. Early is not on any clear path back to throwing because the discomfort has not eased, leaving the Red Sox without a timetable and without much certainty about how quickly they can get him moving again. For a club that has already had to juggle pitching depth, every stalled rehab update carries a little more weight than it should. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Chance To Make A Franchise-Changing Move
The Red Sox reached the midseason break with a 46-48 record and a nine-game winning streak, which has nudged them back into the neighborhood of a playoff spot and made the coming weeks feel a little more consequential than they did a month ago. In that kind of position, Boston has reason to keep an eye on the market, especially for a right-handed bat that could lengthen the lineup and give the club a more dangerous look if it decides to push in.
Francisco Lindor has naturally surfaced in that conversation because of the kind of player he is and the fit he would represent for a team trying to make a real move. The wrinkle is that his situation in New York remains murky enough that it is hard to know how realistic any pursuit might be, and Lindor did not get into the question when asked about his trade veto power this summer. For Boston, the appeal is obvious, but the path to getting there is still very much unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
A 2004 Red Sox Champions Legacy Just Resurfaced In A Big Way
A familiar Red Sox name is back in the baseball conversation after Luke Nixon was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round of the 2026 MLB Draft at No. 150 overall. The NC State infielder built a strong college rsum and gave scouts a steady look at a player who handled second base comfortably, keeping his profile in the infield as he moves into pro ball.
For Boston fans, the draft pick carries an obvious layer of nostalgia because the Nixon name still resonates from the 2004 championship era. Lukes selection does not change anything about that legacy, but it does put another chapter of it into the professional game, with his own path now starting to unfold in a different uniform and a different organization. [Read more 🡒]