Kevin Barral

Following just one start in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello decided to return to camp in Fort Myers and will not pitch anymore. "We only need three more starters, and he needs to throw, so we sent him back to camp with the Red Sox," said Dominican Republic manager Nelson Cruz. "We know that he needs to be ready for his season, and on Sunday, he will rejoin the team." His lone start of the WBC came against Israel, where in five innings of work, he allowed one run on one hit (home run), didn't walk anyone, and struck out seven. He will be making another start with the Red Sox on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. Through two spring training starts, Bello has surrendered nine runs on eight hits (one home run), walked two, and struck out three. Along with his start on Saturday, Bello likely makes one more start for the Red Sox before the start of the season. Although he will rejoin the team, the likelihood that he will throw again in the World Baseball Classic is unlikely, given the amount of pitches he will need to throw in his start, and it may just not give him enough time to recover for a potential appearance on Tuesday in the championship game if the Dominican Republic were to make it. “It will depend on that number [of pitches with Boston] and the days of rest before his next appearance, according to the rules of the Classic,” Cruz said. If the Dominican Republic advances to the semifinals, the expectation is that Luis Severino will start that game, which would be against the United States or Canada, who face off on Friday. Sandy Alcantara would be lined up for that championship game if they make it that far. Kevin Barral is on-site in Miami covering the World Baseball Classic for DiamondCentric. View full article