It's been just two days since pitchers and catchers reported for their first workouts of spring training, but the Boston Red Sox are already dealing with some injuries to two members of their pitching staff.
Per a report from Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com on Feb. 14, right-hander Kutter Crawford is behind other Red Sox pitchers in his training regimen due to patellar tendon soreness that popped up during the offseason. Cotillo also reported that Brayan Bello was shut down for a couple of days with "minor shoulder soreness."
As far as timeline for Crawford's injury, Cotillo reported that Opening Day was "definitely not ruled out." As of Feb. 14 morning, Bello had resumed throwing, which is a positive sign for the 25-year-old right-hander.
Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford unexpectedly hit with ailments as spring training begins
Bello entered the 2024 seasons with high expectations as the Red Sox's Opening Day starter with a freshly signed six-year, $55 million contract extension. He failed to live up to those expectations, however, and stumbled into the All-Star break with a 5.40 ERA through 16 starts. He managed to right the ship to a degree in the second half of the season, finishing with a 4.49 ERA over a career-high 30 starts.
Bello may benefit from the Red Sox's new-look rotation in 2025, where he won't be under as much pressure to carry the load as the team's No. 1 or No. 2 starter. However, even with the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler and the return of a now-healthy Lucas Giolito, Bello will still have high expectations heading into 2025.
Crawford was a model of consistency for the Red Sox in 2024, but not always in a positive way. The 28-year-old was the only pitcher to make every turn in the rotation for the Red Sox last season, leading the club with career-highs in starts (33), innings (183 2/3), strikeouts (175), WHIP (1.12) and opponent batting average (.223). However, he also led the team with 16 losses and gave up a league-leading 34 home runs on the season.
Crawford showed potential in 2024 to become more than just a back-of-the rotation starter in 2025, but his knee soreness in spring training may prove to be a minor setback.