On April 17, the Red Sox activated 23-year-old pitcher Brayan Bello from the injured list. Exactly seven days and eight earned runs later, the promising righthander was optioned down to the minors.
When asked about his decision to demote the hard throwing sinker baller, Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave a direct answer.
“Where we’re at right now, this is the move we had to make,” Cora said. “This is about now. This is not about his future.”
Heading into the week, the pressing need for the Red Sox was not a sixth arm in their rotation but rather a reinforcement to their bullpen.