Brayan Bello’s Red Sox-World Baseball Classic plan gets key update

Following all the backlash that Detroit Tigers superstar Tarik Skubal is receiving for leaving the World Baseball Classic, another notable pitcher is now prioritizing the MLB season. Brayan Bello has rejoined the Boston Red Sox at their spring training camp in Fort Myers, Florida and will pitch against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford.

The 26-year-old will link back up with the Dominican Republic squad if it advances to the WBC semifinals, but he will only be there to support his countrymen. Although Bello expressed the desire to pitch again for the D.R., he wanted to make sure he logged a sufficient amount of innings before the new MLB campaign begins on March 26. The Red Sox will accommodate the young right-hander in this upcoming spring training outing, a decision that obviously benefits both parties.

This news obviously puts the Dominican Republic in a tough spot. Bello is one of the most reliable starters on the roster and could have been crucial in a potential semifinals showdown with Japan or Venezuela. He tossed five innings of one-hit ball in Monday’s 10-1 win over Israel, striking out seven batters in the Pool D matchup. A Spencer Horwitz solo home run was the only mark against the solid hurler.

Alas, many pitchers are forced to exercise caution as the World Baseball Classic progresses. Brayan Bello posted a career-best 2025 season and is motivated to maintain a consistently superb form in 2026. Achieving that foremost objective is more manageable with a proper ramp-up period. He intends to throw between 60-70 pitches versus the Braves, per MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam, which will ideally prepare him for MLB action.

Bello and the Red Sox have big aspirations this year, and unfortunately for the Dominican Republic, those plans will take precedence over his WBC duties. He is obviously still emotionally invested in the club’s success, however, and will surely be following along during Friday’s quarterfinals clash with Korea.

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