In need of a starting pitcher, the Red Sox skipped over Brayan Bello

NEW YORK — In need of another starting pitcher Saturday, the Red Sox went with none at all.

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Righthander Brayan Bello remained with Triple-A Worcester, for whom he will pitch Sunday, interim manager Chad Tracy said.

The big league Sox went with lefthander Eduardo Rivera, who has been a reliever lately and drew the abbreviated start in a de facto bullpen game against the Mets. He tossed 3⅔ scoreless innings.

“He’s still in play for stuff in the future,” Tracy said of Bello. “Just felt like today, this is the best thing to do.”

Since his demotion a little more than a month ago, Bello has been mediocre in the minors, posting a 4.34 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in four starts. He has 22 strikeouts (to four walks) in 18⅔ innings, but that is only 4⅔ innings per outing.

It’s an improvement over his messy major league numbers — including a 6.34 ERA in a dozen games — but not exactly demanding of a return.

What has Tracy heard about Bello’s time with the WooSox?

“They’ve raved about his work ethic. They’ve raved about him engaging with the team,” Tracy said, not detailing much about Bello’s actual pitching. “He’s in the side sessions very open minded at trying things. So nothing but good reports as far as the way he’s gone about it.

“He’s still working through getting ahead in counts and things like that. But as far as the conversations I’ve had with [pitching coach Dan DeLucia] and [interim manager Iggy Suarez], they said he’s been amazing to work with since he’s been down there.”

The bullpen approach to the game Saturday was a short-term fix on the second-to-last day before the All-Star break.

Ranger Suarez (strained left groin) can’t return until July 21 — at the earliest — so the Sox will need a fill-in starter for at least one game prior to then. They resume their season next Friday with a four-game, three-day series against the AL East-leading Rays.

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A mere one day after the Red Sox’ travel woes — a nearly 24-hour adventure to get from Chicago to New York — they had a batch of new T-shirts for their troubles.

During pregame activity Saturday, many of the Sox wore the white tees that showed an airplane dubbed “Show and Go Airlines.” Also written across the front was “See you at 4:15,” a reference to the Sox’ cushy, late report time during their most recent homestand — during which their hot streak started.

It was a special delivery from Paul Procopio, a Pittsfield native and lifelong Sox fan who has supplied the club with custom-made shirts over the past year-plus. He drove them down to Citi Field early Saturday.

Willson Contreras confirmed that his bruised left foot, which he still had wrapped, will not prevent him from participating in the Home Run Derby on Monday or the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

“I’ll be playing however, in pain or whatever, but I’m not missing that,” he said. “For me, [the Derby is] gonna be another regular practice, and I’m just trying to hit the ball in the air and and do my stuff there, so I’m not trying to put any type of pressure on myself. Go down there and have fun, enjoy with all the superstars around me.”

Contreras noted that he was well enough to have served as the DH on Saturday had he not been in the middle of a five-game suspension.

Because of that suspension, he was not allowed in the dugout or the clubhouse during the game. That provided an opportunity to run an errand: suit-shopping in Manhattan, so that he would be properly dressed for All-Star festivities. He had not bought one on the road trip, at the start of which he hadn’t been named an All-Star.

Contreras also received a fresh shipment of bats, including one painted like Bowser, the Mario video-game character from which he draws his nickname.

Although he got good news that his left elbow is merely inflamed, not damaged,Connelly Early remains in a shutdown phase, not cleared to resume throwing. “We’ll just wait over the next few days to see how the rest of the soreness progresses,” Tracy said. “[The Sox will] make sure he’s in the right spot before he picks up a ball again” … The Mets’ Bo Bichette was out of the lineup for a second game in a row — and might miss Sunday as well — because of “overall sore” legs, including right ankle soreness, interim manager Andy Green said … Tracy’s plans with the family for the All-Star break: an Airbnb “out in the woods” of New Hampshire. “We’re just going to go relax,” he said. “Perhaps peace and quiet.”

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