The Boston Red Sox took one on the chin on Friday night. Confident that a series against the lowly Chicago White Sox — quite possibly one of the least talented teams in modern MLB history — would help kickstart a run to the top of the AL East standings, Boston instead fell flat in the opener, committing five errors in an ugly 11-1 loss that left fans fuming.
There's no sugar-coating a loss like that; getting run out of the ballpark by a team that lost 121 games last season is a bad look, no matter which way you slice it. But Red Sox fans looking for a silver lining won't have to stretch too much to find one, because the team that got embarrassed in Chicago is about to get a major facelift.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Brayan Bello return couldn't come at a better time for Red Sox
Lefty Sean Newcomb made his third start of the year in Friday's game, which isn't what Boston coaches or fans had in mind just a few weeks ago. But injuries to starters Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito forced the Red Sox' hand, thrusting Newcomb — a former top Braves prospect who's bounced around the league over the last few years after washing out of Atlanta — into the rotation.
Predictably, it has not gone well. Newcomb entered Friday with an ERA north of five, and he got touched up by the White Sox, allowing six runs (although just two were earned) on six hits and two walks over four innings of work. At this point, it's hard to see Boston contending for a division title or an AL pennant without patching the holes in its starting rotation.
But there's some good news on that front. While Newcomb was struggling in Chicago, righty Brayan Bello was wrapping up a promising rehab start with Triple-A Worcester. Bello made it through four innings while striking out five and getting up to 95-96 mph on the radar gun. More importantly, though, he seems to be fully healthy and ready to make his season debut.
Brayan Bello (4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K) talks after his third rehab start with Triple-A Worcester.
— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) April 12, 2025
Boston’s Opening Day starter last year said he felt 100% healthy and he’s “ready for whatever” — whether that’s one more rehab stint or returning to the Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/nAqhjlpuaj
Giolito is also set to start for Worcester this weekend as he makes his way back from a hamstring strain suffered early in the spring. Neither of which will fully erase Boston's lackluster 7-8 start, at least not entirely. But the rest of this division is scuffling too, and the Red Sox can at least tell themselves that the team that got worked by the lowly White Sox won't look much like the team that they'll see for the rest of the summer.