Brayan Bello gets the ball, and Boston is doing something a little different with him. After a 9.12 ERA through his first six traditional starts, the club ran him behind an opener last time out against Detroit and he gave them 7 innings of 1-run, 7-strikeout ball. Per the Globe, Chad Tracy confirmed there's no opener this time — Bello is starting cold in Atlanta. Bold.
Grant Holmes counters for the Braves, fresh off a stint where Atlanta yanked him from the rotation, slid him to swingman, and then walked him back in for the Cubs series. The 4.35 ERA is fine. The leash, given how this season has gone for him, probably isn't long.
The market is telling on the public. 73% of DK spread bets and 86% of moneyline bets are on Atlanta, and both home sides carry the worst EV on the board. Pinnacle has the Braves at -150 with a fair win probability of 58.5%, so the favorite is the right side — just not at the juice DK is selling it for. The total is the more interesting split: Pinnacle sits at 8.5, DK at 7.5. That's a real disagreement on whether Bello-vs-this-lineup is a powder keg.
- Day-To-DayConnor Wong (C) — Wong is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/14
- Day-To-DayHobie Harris (RP) — Harris was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story is seeking additional opinions about whether surgery is needed for his sports hernia, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/16
- 10-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Anthony (wrist) began playing catch Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILDanny Coulombe (RP) — Coulombe (neck) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Portland on Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.05/14
- 15-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — Crawford has been diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow following an MRI, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
- OutBrendan Rodgers (2B) — Rodgers (shoulder) re-signed Friday with the Red Sox on a two-year, minor-league contract, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has been making throws out to 105 feet three days per week, MLB.com reports.05/15
- 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — The Red Sox transferred Casas (abdomen/knee) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRomy Gonzalez (1B) — The Red Sox placed Gonzalez (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILPatrick Sandoval (SP) — The Red Sox transferred Sandoval (biceps/elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will be reevaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in two weeks to determine his progress, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayBlake Burkhalter (RP) — Triple-A Gwinnett placed Burkhalter on the 7-day injured list March 27 with back spasms, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- 7-Day ILEli White (CF) — White (concussion) is expected to come off the injured list when first eligible May 18, Jesus Cano of The Athletic reports.05/15
- 10-Day-ILRonald Acuna Jr. (RF) — Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Friday that Acuna (hamstring) likely won't be activated from the 10-day injured list until he can play the outfield, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.05/15
- 10-Day-ILSean Murphy (C) — Manager Walk Weiss said Tuesday that Murphy (finger) is expected to be sidelined at least eight weeks, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILHurston Waldrep (SP) — Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday that Waldrep (elbow) will throw a bullpen session in about a week and could be ready to rejoin the team in June, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILDylan Dodd (RP) — Dodd (back) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett in the coming days, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.05/08
- suspensionJurickson Profar (LF) — Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJoe Jimenez (RP) — Atlanta manager Walt Weiss revealed Wednesday that Jimenez underwent another surgery on his left knee 3-to-4 weeks ago, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.05/13
- 60-Day-ILSpencer Schwellenbach (SP) — Schwellenbach (elbow) received a positive update when evaluated last week and is expected to start a throwing program soon, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.05/12
- 60-Day-ILDanny Young (RP) — Atlanta transferred Young (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILAJ Smith-Shawver (SP) — Atlanta placed Smith-Shawver (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Friday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJoey Wentz (RP) — Atlanta placed Wentz (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
Boston's injury page reads like a rotation graveyard — Crochet, Houck, Crawford, Sandoval, Oviedo all unavailable, plus Story and Roman Anthony on the position-player side. Atlanta is missing Acuña, Sean Murphy for at least 8 weeks with the finger, and Profar for the full year on the PED suspension, and they're still running away with the division. That's the gap right now.
Pick a lane: trust that the opener-less Bello experiment goes the way the last one did and grab Boston at plus money, or just accept that the better team at home with a real bullpen takes care of business in a getaway-day matinee. The under at 7.5 on DK is the one that needs the most things to break right.