The Boston Red Sox shut down Brayan Bello through the weekend after the pitcher began experiencing forearm tightness.
Bello's bullpen was full of breaking balls -- a pitch he isn't used to throwing -- and began to feel the tightness earlier in the week. Red Sox manager Alex Cora sounded optimistic that it wasn't serious and that the team was doing it to be cautious.
The 23-year-old will fight for a spot in the Red Sox starting rotation for the 2023 season and figures to be part of the future for a team that is looking to get back into the postseason. While it's certainly not ideal to be dealing with any sort of ailment before full squad workouts even begin, Bello doesn't seem overly concerned.
"It was the beginning of this week, I was throwing," Bello told reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. on Saturday morning, per MLB.com's Ian Browne. "I didn't feel any pain, I just felt tight and I really didn't want to force it."
Browne added Bello feels "much better" and is anxious to test his arm out Monday when he begins throwing again.
Bello wasn't the only pitcher to cause concerns for Red Sox fans Friday. Nick Pivetta walked away with a trainer after throwing one pitch. But Cora said Pivetta is "building back" his stamina after having COVID-19 recently.
All eyes will be on Bello on Monday when he resumes throwing. The hope is that he jumps right back into his routine and doesn't get set back any further.
