The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey writes that it seems increasingly likely that Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman will begin the season the team's third baseman, and Rafael Devers (shoulders) will start at designated hitter. However, manager Alex Cora has refused to address the situation. It also makes sense with Masataka Yoshida likely to begin the year on the injured list after having offseason shoulder surgery. Bregman hasn't played second base at all this spring, and Devers has yet to play in a Grapefruit League game. With Bregman likely to start at the hot corner in his first year in Beantown, prospect Kristian Campbell, Vaughn Grissom and David Hamilton are all competing for playing time at second base. Campbell has the most fantasy upside, both short- and long-term.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (elbow) is lined up to pitch the fifth game of the year in Baltimore against the division-rival Orioles on April 2, according to manager Alex Cora. Giolito is also set to make his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, which will be his first start since last March when he suffered a torn right UCL that required a season-ending internal-brace procedure. Currently ranked outside of RotoBaller's top-100 fantasy starting pitchers, Giolito has a lot to prove in his first season pitching for Boston. The 30-year-old veteran did have 204 strikeouts in 33 starts with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians in 2023, but he also had a 4.88 ERA, walked 73 hitters and allowed a league-high 41 home runs in 184 1/3 innings. Giolito will likely have restrictions after missing all of last year, making an even tougher bet for a bounce-back in fantasy.

MLB.com's Ian Browne reports that Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers' (shoulders) Grapefruit League debut has once again been pushed back this week from Wednesday to Saturday. However, the team still expects him to be ready for Opening Day, and he's been taking live batting practice for more than a week. The 28-year-old has been trying to iron out his swing for the last few weeks while also making mechanical adjustments after two sore shoulders forced him into bad habits late last year. The Red Sox haven't said whether Devers will start the year at third base or at designated hitter, but all signs are pointing to the latter, especially after the team added Alex Bregman in free agency. Using Devers as the regular DH to begin the season will not only keep him healthy but allow him to continue to work on his new swing path. Devers at DH will make Masataka Yoshida the odd man out of the lineup.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (shoulder) won't be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season after dealing with right-shoulder inflammation in spring training, according to manager Alex Cora. With Bello out of the mix for the Opening Day starting rotation, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester and Cooper Criswell are all in the mix to break camp as the No. 5 starter. Although Bello will begin the year on the injured list, the Red Sox expect him to make his season debut in April, so there's a chance he may only end up missing one or two turns through the rotation. He will likely pitch up to four innings in the Opening Series at Triple-A Worcester. The 25-year-old has been throwing off a mound since the beginning of March, so he's not all that far behind the other pitchers. With his injury, Bello has slipped outside RotoBaller's top-100 starting-pitcher rankings.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (back) was scratched as a precaution from Tuesday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies due to mild upper-back tightness. In his place, shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer will make the start for the BoSox. It's not a serious injury for Story, but with Opening Day just a few weeks away, it's something to watch for a player that miss the majority of last season with a shoulder injury. The 32-year-old has gone 11-for-24 with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI and seven runs scored in eight spring training games to this point and will be the team's starting shortstop in 2025 as long as he's healthy. Because of the fact that Story has only played 163 total games since joining Boston in 2022, he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 20 fantasy shortstop. Injuries have taken their toll.UPDATE: Manager Alex Cora expects Story to be back in the spring lineup on Wednesday.