WORCESTER — Heading into this week the hope was Brayan Bello would only need just one more rehab start before he’d be ready to make his big league return.
He sure looked ready Tuesday night.
Bello was sharp in what should be his final rehab start with the Worcester Red Sox, allowing one run over six strong innings of work. The second-year right-hander struck out four, allowed four hits and no walks, and threw 81 pitches (50 for strikes) in Worcester’s 10-3 loss to the Columbus Clippers.
“I think this is my last start here,” Bello said afterwards via translator Jesus Quinonez. “It’s their decision, I don’t know the plan or what they’re thinking but I think I’m ready to go back.”
The lone blemish on his line was a fourth inning solo home run surrendered to Zack Collins, but other than that Bello was in control, with his fastball topping out at 97 mph. All of his strikeouts were swinging, and Bello also generated lots of weak contact, drawing nine ground ball outs over his outing.
“All my pitches were really good,” Bello said. “My velocity was good and I was also throwing a (curveball) I’ve been practicing the last couple of days.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Bello, particularly early. In the first three innings Bello fell behind four batters 3-1, but in all four cases he battled back and got the out, two on strikeouts swinging. He also ran into trouble in the sixth when he allowed a tough-luck infield single and hit a batter to put two on with no outs, but Bello got out of the jam by forcing a flyout to right and a double play to end his outing.
“I was competing with my pitches, that’s all I want,” Bello said. “Especially when you get behind, try to use my pitches to get out of those counts.”
If Bello’s next start does come in the big leagues, he’d be in line to start Sunday at Fenway Park against the Los Angeles Angels on regular rest. If the Red Sox wanted to give him extra time, they could also start him on Marathon Monday, in which case he would face off against two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in his 2023 debut.
Hamilton impresses
Bello wasn’t the only young Red Sox standout to put on a show for the Polar Park crowd. Infielder David Hamilton had a terrific day as well, going 3 for 4 with a solo home run, a double and a walk. He fell a triple short of the cycle.
Acquired in the Hunter Renfroe-Jackie Bradley Jr. trade, Hamilton boasts elite speed and tied the Red Sox organizational record with 70 stolen bases for the Portland Sea Dogs last season. Though he did not record any steals Tuesday, he did show off his impressive base running acumen by going from first to third on a Jorge Alfaro infield single.
Hamilton is hitting .462 to start his first season in Triple-A.
WooSox release Feltman
Tuesday also brought surprising minor league news, as the Red Sox released right-handed pitching prospect Durbin Feltman less than two weeks into the new season.
Feltman, a third-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Texas Christian University, was once considered among the organization’s top relief pitcher prospects. In 2021 he was named the Red Sox Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year after posting a 2.96 ERA over 39 games between Portland and Worcester, but since then he has really struggled.
“Obviously it’s part of the business of the game, the (lousy) part of the business of the game, especially early in the season,” said WooSox manager Chad Tracy. “It stinks, we love him, we wish him well, I hope he lands on his feet, I think he will, but it’s part of it.”
Last season Feltman endured a rough 2022, posting an ugly 7.63 ERA over 40 appearances at Triple-A. This season got off to a similarly tough start (6.75 ERA in two games), and with Bello and James Paxton both set to rejoin the MLB club and bump two pitchers down to Worcester, Feltman wound up being the odd man out.
“Come out of spring and the big league club is still trying to get healthy and you see on the horizon a lot of guys that are going to get healthy quick and it’s going to create some kickback, right?” Tracy said. “And you only have so many spots where you can put guys on the roster here.”
In addition to Feltman’s release, the WooSox also activated outfielder Wilyer Abreu and right-hander Taylor Broadway from the seven-day injured list. Abreu is on Boston’s 40-man roster and was one of the prospects acquired in last summer’s Christian Vazquez trade.