The Boston Red Sox have hit an early-season rough patch, and all eyes are on one of their most promising arms. After dropping their series against the Toronto Blue Jays—winning Game 1 only to lose the next two—the team is facing some hard truths about 26-year-old pitcher Brayan Bello.

Bello, who was a standout for the Red Sox last season with a stellar 3.35 ERA and 124 strikeouts over 29 appearances, has struggled to find his rhythm in the early going. In the rubber match against Toronto, the right-hander started strong but was pulled after just 63 pitches, having allowed four runs. It was another frustrating outing for a pitcher who has voiced his desire to go deeper into games.

But the real concern goes beyond one bad start. ESPN's Jeff Passan recently issued a warning about Bello's declining fastball velocity, which has dropped significantly over the past two seasons—from 95.7 mph to 93.6 mph, and now down to 91.7 mph. As Passan noted, a 92-mph fastball in today's game is a recipe for disaster, and Bello learned that lesson the hard way when the Yankees tagged him for five home runs among 13 hits just two starts ago.

Still, it's important to remember that Bello was a dominant force just last season. His recent dip in velocity is certainly something for the Red Sox to monitor, but it's too early to sound the alarm bells entirely. The team as a whole has faced plenty of adversity this season, including a coaching staff shakeup that saw Alex Cora and others depart. As the Red Sox chart a new course, Bello will have every opportunity to bounce back in his next start and prove that last year's success was no fluke.