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It's been a tough go for Boston Red Sox fans in the young 2024 campaign. Sure, the club is a solid 14-12 in the difficult AL East but fans are left wondering what might the team's record look like had they not been absolutely decimated by injuries.
The latest Sox injury is to Opening Day starter Brayan Bello who has hit the shelf with right lat tightness. The right-hander tossed six innings of shutout ball while allowing just one hit and striking out seven his last time out on April 19 against the Pirates but has nonetheless hit the 15-day injured list.
It's a big blow to a Red Sox rotation that already has Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta on the injured list while Lucas Giolito is out for the season. Additionally, infielder Trevor Story is out for the season following shoulder surgery, Triston Casas will significant time with a rib fracture, Rafael Devers just returned after missing a week with knee discomfort, and offseason trade acquisition Vaughn Grissom has yet to play this season due to a hamstring issue. Let's look at Bello's situation and what it means for his fantasy value.
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Brayan Bello Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball
Bello was just placed on the injured list on Wednesday, so it's far too early for an update on his status. No one in the organization has come out and said it's a serious issue so it appears this is more of a play-it-by-ear scenario.
All we know at this point is he is set to miss at least the next couple of weeks from Thursday.
Brayan Bello Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Not only is this a big blow to Bello and the Red Sox but also fantasy managers who invested in the 24-year-old this spring. Fresh off a shiny six-year extension, Bello worked to a tidy 3.04 ERA with a quality 17.3% K-BB% and a 51.3% ground-ball rate. He has increased his strikeout rate to 23.6% from his 20.4% career mark and fantasy managers will want to keep in mind he posted big-time strikeout numbers in the minors. It may take time to show up in the big leagues but he's progressing.
Brayan Bello, Painted 86mph Changeup. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/eTMcOb7AWs
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 19, 2024
Of course, Bello is a must-stash unless this injury turns out to be devastating, which lat tightness rarely is. This certainly seems like an ailment that will just need some rest and recovery to get loosened up. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Bello playing catch sooner than later.
It's an unfortunate situation but just like the Red Sox faithful, fantasy managers will be forced to exercise patience for what doesn't appear to be a significant issue.
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