Brayan Bello named Red Sox' Opening Day starter; Kenley Jansen "running out of time" to get ready
BOSTON -- There was a bit of news on both the front end and the back end of the Red Sox' pitching staff on Tuesday.
First, in the rare bit of positive news coming out of Red Sox camp, Brayan Bello has been named the starter for Opening Day.
Bello with the call. pic.twitter.com/xxcrQW5E79
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 19, 2024
The 24-year-old Bello is fresh off signing a six-year, $55 million contract with the Red Sox, a deal that covers what would have been three years of arbitration and one year of free agency. It also includes a club option for the 2030 season, which is to say this: The Red Sox anticipate Bello being around for a long time.
And while veteran Nick Pivetta might have had the better case to be the Opening Day starter of the present, the Red Sox are clearly making this decision with an eye on the future.
Bello went 12-11 last year with a 4.24 ERA, making 28 starts in his first full MLB season.
The potentially not-so-positive news relates to closer Kenley Jansen, who's dealing with back tightness and is "running out of time" to get ready for the first game of the season, according to Alex Cora.
Kenley Jansen won’t pitch today. He still has back tightness. Cora: “He’s running out of time.” Team still hopes he can pitch tomorrow, but clearly now a question of whether he’s ready for Opening Day. “We still have time, but we’re running out of time.”
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 19, 2024
Jansen has made just one game appearance this spring, allowing three runs on three hits (two of which were home runs) in just 0.2 innings of work last Friday against the Twins. His spring debut was delayed due to lat soreness.
The Red Sox are set to wrap up their spring training schedule on Sunday before heading to Texas for a pair of exhibition games next week, before opening the regular season on Thursday, March 28 in Seattle.