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    Brayan Bello to start on Saturday against Rays

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    BOS Starting Pitcher #66
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    Brayan Bello will start Saturday’s game against the Rays.

    Bello draws the starting assignment for Saturday’s game against the Rays with Payton Tolle apparently being skipped in the rotation in an effort to manage his workload and set up Boston’s rotation for the postseason. Obviously, Bello has had more success coming out of the bullpen as opposed to being used as a traditional starter. Still, this is a decent spot for fantasy purposes in pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field.
Diaz is a 'massive linchpin' in Rays' lineup
Eric Samulski and James Schiano break down why Yandy Diaz is a crucial piece to the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup in this World Series and how he is one of the most underrated hitters in the MLB.

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  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
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    Tolle didn’t look overmatched in his first career postseason start on the road at Yankee Stadium, but he was ultimately outdueled by his New York counterpart Cam Schlitter, who posted 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 shutout frames. The 23-year-old southpaw did enough to keep the Red Sox within striking distance in the middle innings as an RBI single from Austin Wells with two outs in the third inning accounted for all of the damage against him. He finished with four strikeouts and only issued one walk. He would get the nod for Game 1 of the AL Division Series if the Red Sox find a way to rally in the best-of-three showdown in New York.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    Sonny Gray will start Game 2, with Ranger Suarez potentially lined up for Game 3. It seems that Tracy may be looking to break up his lefties. Tolle is certainly a worthwhile Game 1 starter. He finished the regular season with a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 28.4 percent strikeout rate across 148 2/3 innings. He has never made a start in the postseason before, while Gray has previous experience. Gray also posted a 2.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 21.8 percent strikeout rate in 169 innings this year. Either way, the Red Sox have a nice duo set up to start the first two games of the series.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #66
    Bello was pulled after 58 pitches, which would potentially keep him in the relief mix for the Wild Card opener on Tuesday. He gave up one run and posted a 22/3 K/BB over 18 2/3 innings in his final four appearances to finish what originally looked like a disastrous season with a 4.33 ERA in 116 1/3 innings.
  • BOS Manager
    It’s unclear how the Red Sox are going to handle the situation since they’re ostensibly locked into the second Wild Card spot heading into the playoffs next week. Patrick Sandoval was scheduled to start Sunday’s season finale and will presumably get the ball on Saturday instead, weather permitting. Jake Bennett, Payton Tolle and Brayan Bello are also in the mix to pitch as well. It’ll be Matthew Boyd and David Peterson most getting the ball for the Cubs during the twin bill with Justin Steele (elbow) in the mix to return from the injured list this weekend. There are a ton of variables that fantasy managers need to monitor with Boston facing inclement weather from roughly Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    Tolle’s velocity was down by about one mph tonight, but he still did solid work in striking out five and finishing with a 32 percent CSW. He’ll head into the postseason 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 148 2/3 innings. It looks like he’ll probably pitch Game 1 against the Yankees next Tuesday.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    Tolle draws back into Boston’s rotation after having his previous start against the Rays last weekend pushed back for workload and postseason scheduling reasons. The talented 23-year-old former top prospect is unlikely to work too deep into this outing with the Red Sox having already clinched a playoff spot, but he’s still worth rolling with in nearly all fantasy leagues. This will likely be his final regular-season outing before the Red Sox face the Yankees in the playoffs.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #66
    Bello had allowed two baserunners through three scoreless innings before giving up a solo homer to Jonathan Aranda to lead off the bottom of the fourth. He bounced back with four more scoreless frames, giving the Red Sox eight innings of one-run ball in what was his best outing of the season. The 27-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 4.49 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 90/35 K/BB ratio across 112 1/3 innings. Saturday’s effort might have earned him another start before the end of the season as the team tries to keep its rotation fresh for the postseason.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    The Red Sox haven’t hid the strong possibility that Tolle wasn’t going to pitch this weekend, but it’s a tough break for fantasy managers hoping for an outing against the Rays during playoff action. There’s still a chance that Tolle starts Sunday’s series finale, but the Boston hasn’t finalized their pitching plans beyond having Brayan Bello start Saturday’s contest.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    Saturday would be Payton Tolle’s turn, following by Patrick Sandoval on Sunday, but it looks like the Red Sox might be tweaking things. Depending on what they do, they could be aiming to move Tolle ahead of Ranger Suarez as a potential Game 2 starter in their likely Wild Card series.
  • BOS Starting Pitcher #70
    Tolle didn’t get the victory, as Erik Miller and Garrett Whitlock combined to give the tying run in the seventh before the Red Sox went back ahead. Tolle, though, was the star today. He fanned four in a row to begin the game, and he went on to limit the Royals to four singles and one walk. His ERA is sitting at 3.02 through 25 starts. He’ll face the Rays next time out.

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    Francisco Lindor was awarded the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.

    The Roberto Clemente Award, which began in 1971, “is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” Every team nominates one player for the award, and a panel of former players, journalists, and executives decides on the winner. Lindor was chosen, in part, due to his support for his native Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Maria and Fiona, an annual back-to-school initiative he runs in Queens, support for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the Lindor Leaders Program, which, in partnership with New Balance, is a “year-long leadership development initiative for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program that focuses on mental health, communication, teamwork, and leadership.”
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    Rocco Baldelli has withdrawn from the Mariners’ managerial search, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.

    Baldelli cited family considerations in making the decision. The former Twins manager is currently serving as a special assistant in the Dodgers front office.
  • FA Relief Pitcher #49
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    Free agent Michael Kelly is drawing interest from Japanese teams, says MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

    When he wasn’t serving a 162-game suspension for betting on baseball, Kelly was effective for the A’s in 2024 and ’25, amassing a 2.92 ERA in 70 innings between the two season. His 2026 was a total bust, though, and he sat out the second half after being released by the A’s. He’ll almost certainly have to take a minor league deal if he remains in the U.S.
  • HOU Designated Hitter #44
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    The Astros are hiring Conner Watson as their director of hitting, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports.

    Not having a GM or a manager isn’t keeping the Astros from adding to their staff. Watson has been an assistant hitting director for the Guardians the last two years.
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    Liam Hicks (forearm) told reporters that he was fine after being drilled in the forearm by a pitch during Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night.

    Hicks was clipped by DL Hall when leading off the sixth inning. He stayed in the game to run the bases for himself and caught another two innings but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. The 27-year-old backstop ensures that he’ll be available for Game 3 on Monday in Tampa Bay.
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #46
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    Brewers’ right-hander Quinn Priester (shoulder) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

    The 26-year-old righty underwent decompression surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in June and was initially given a recovery timeline of 8-10 months. He has made solid progress in his recovery though and is now expected to land on the shorter side of that estimate, making it so he could be ready for the start of the 2027 season. While he has done a terrific job for the Brewers when healthy, he’ll face stiff competition for a spot in the club’s rotation to open the 2027 campaign.
  • MIN Starting Pitcher #49
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    Pablo López (elbow) is on track to be ready for the start of spring training.

    The 30-year-old hurler underwent Tommy John surgery in late February. He has been throwing since late August and should be able to go through a familiar offseason routine. Some inconsistency is always to be expected when pitcher’s return from the procedure, but Lopez could represent a nice value in early fantasy drafts.
  • MIL Shortstop #87
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    Cooper Pratt hit the go-ahead single in the Brewers’ 5'4 win over the Rays in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday.

    Pratt’s day got off to a rough start, as he made an error that allowed Yandy Díaz to reach second base and score one of four runs for the Rays in the first inning. It was all Brewers from that point on, and Pratt made up for the gaffe with an opposite-field single that scored Brice Turang in the seventh that gave the Brew Crew a 5-4 lead and ultimately the victory. Pratt has now made four errors and a few other mistakes in the field, but he has hit .286 in the postseason, and he now has Milwaukee two wins away from their first ever championship. Game 3 will take place Monday with the series moving to Tampa Bay.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • MIL Right Fielder #10
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    Sal Frelick hit a game-tying solo homer to help the Brewers to a Game 2 World Series victory over the Rays on Saturday.

    With the Brewers trailing 4-3, Frelick took left-hander Ian Seymour over the center-field wall to tie the game at 4-4. It was the first homer of the postseason for the outfielder, and he’s driven in four runs while hitting a solid .273/.370/.409 thus far. He’ll likely hit near the bottom of the order again in Game 3 as the Brewers are two wins away from their first ever championship.
    - Christopher Crawford
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    Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Brewers on Saturday in Game 2 of the World Series.

    Hicks extended the Rays’ lead to 4-0, and it came in the first inning on a two-run homer off Logan Henderson. The Rays wouldn’t score another run, and Hicks was thrown out at home plate on a send that was at best aggressive and at (accurately) worst insane. Hicks has been able to drive in eight runs thus far in the postseason, and he’ll try and add to that total in a must-win game for the Rays on Monday in Game 3.
    - Christopher Crawford