The Boston Red Sox already are battling with serious ailments in their starting rotation.
Right-handers Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford are struggling with shoulder and knee pain, respectively. Bello’s problem arose at the start of spring training, whereas Crawford has been dealing with his injury for nearly a year.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided updates on both pitchers to media on Saturday.
“With Kutter, that’s the one, it looks like it’s going to be long [in camp] before he pitches,” Cora said, via MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “I know opening day right now is kind of like an if. Let’s see what happens. He’s just not feeling well. He’s behind and we’ve got to make sure the knee is good so the shoulder doesn’t suffer.”
Cora gave a slightly more optimistic update on Bello but didn’t provide a timetable for his return.
“Actually, Bello has a strength test (Sunday) to see where we’re at and make sure the plan fits what we need from him,” Cora said. ” … He hasn’t started throwing bullpens yet. Let’s see next week how it goes.”
The good news for Boston is its rotation is more equipped to withstand injuries this season than it was a year ago. However, the options beyond Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Tanner Houck all carry major question marks.
Lucas Giolito is working his way back from a significant arm injury. Richard Fitts is unproven, and Quinn Priester likely needs more time in the minor leagues to fine-tune his reworked arsenal. Cooper Criswell is a solid depth option but probably is better suited for a long-relief role in the bullpen.
Nevertheless, Crawford and Bello have plenty of time to work through their injuries. We likely will learn more about their statuses as the week progresses.
