Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello is having his next start pushed back to next Wednesday in Miami against the Marlins. Josh Winckowski will now make the start on Sunday versus the visiting San Diego Padres. The move deprives fantasy managers of a two-start week with Bello. The 25-year-old had a rough last start on Tuesday in a loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, surrendering seven earned runs on five hits while walking three in just 2 1/3 innings. The good news for Bello and his fantasy managers is that manager Alex Cora said he's not dealing with an injury, so hopefully the extra time off between starts will help him going into a plus matchup against the Fish next week. Projected as a potential breakout starter by many in spring training, Bello has failed to live up to those expectations and is currently 7-5 with a 5.55 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP and a 64:29 K:BB in 71 1/3 innings and 14 starts in his third year in the majors.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said infielder Joey Ortiz (neck) is dealing with a neck issue that first cropped up in the recent series against the Los Angeles Angels, which is why he was pulled from Wednesday's contest early against the visiting Texas Rangers. The 25-year-old went 0-for-2 against Texas before departing the game in the sixth inning in an eventual extra-inning victory. Ortiz's injury doesn't sound too serious, so he could be right back in Milwaukee's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Chicago Cubs after a scheduled off day on Thursday. The former fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 out of New Mexico State has had a solid first season for the Brew Crew, slashing .278/.383/.459 with an .842 OPS, seven home runs, 28 RBI, five steals and 32 runs in 71 games played.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (ribs) said he swung in the cage on Wednesday for the first time since his injury and felt great. The real test, though, will come when he sees how sore he is on Thursday, but the initial return was like "riding a bike." The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting first baseman took around 20 swings in the cage at roughly 75 percent effort as he recovers from a cartilage tear in his left rib cage that he suffered in late April. The next step for Casas will be to start hitting off a tee before he eventually progresses to facing live pitching before eventually embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment. Barring a setback, Casas could return to the Red Sox's lineup at some point in late July. The former 26th overall pick in 2018 had 24 homers in his first full season in 2023 and should be stashed in all fantasy formats because of his power upside.

Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks (elbow) estimated he threw around 15 pitches off a mound (all fastballs) in his first bullpen session on Wednesday since having Tommy John surgery last August. Hendriks thinks he can return in August, although he notes that he's the one who has come up with that timetable and not the Red Sox. The 35-year-old will remain on the 60-day injured list for at least another month, but the veteran right-hander is making progress after having elbow reconstruction last year. The three-time All-Star recovered from cancer in 2023 with the White Sox before needing elbow surgery, so he's had a pretty eventful last year. The Australian hurler has 116 career saves in 13 big-league seasons, but the Red Sox are likely to ease him in later in the second half of the season. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much.

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) took batting practice on the field on Wednesday before the series finale against the visiting Washington Nationals, a notable step in his recovery from a fractured left shoulder. It's good news for Bogaerts, who suffered his injury in late May, but there's still no specific timetable for his return. One thing that is clear is that the 31-year-old veteran infielder won't be back until sometime after the All-Star break in mid-July, and he may not be activated from the 10-day injured list until August, depending on how quickly he can ramp up his baseball activities and how long of a minor-league rehab assignment he'll need. When Bogaerts is able to return, Jake Cronenworth will likely return to first base and Luis Arraez will become the regular designated hitter once again in San Diego.