Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Angels at Athletics

Los Angeles Angels (0-0) at Oakland Athletics (0-0)

Friday, July 25th, 10:10 PM EDT

Projected starters

LHP Andrew Heaney (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Frankie Montas (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game Preview

The Angels will have Mike Trout this season, and that certainly boosts their chances of potentially making a playoff run in 2020. The Athletics, on the other hand, are the odds-on favorite to win the AL West – and they will try to kick things off with a win at home. The pitching matchup will feature a lefty, Andrew Heaney, against an up-and-coming righty such as Frankie Montas. Heaney went 4-6 with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 18 starts during the 2019 season, but the Athletics were one of the best teams in the league against left-handed pitchers with a 115wRC+, so this might not be an ideal matchup for the 29-year-old. Meanwhile, Montas went 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 16 starts last season, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to carry that form into 2020.

Injuries:

Los Angeles Angels

Justin Anderson - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/23 9:59 AM EST - The Angels placed Anderson (elbow) on the 45-day injured list Thursday. Anderson's move to the IL was merely a formality after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow last week that required season-ending Tommy John surgery. The power reliever won't be ready to contribute for the Angels until late in the second half of the 2021 campaign in a best-case scenario.

Jose Briceno - Out - Shoulder

6/30 7:43 AM EST - Briceno (shoulder) will be part of the Angels' 60-man roster. Briceno, who is not on the 40-man roster, is one of five catchers currently listed in the team's 60-man player pool. The 27-year-old recorded 128 plate appearances in the majors in 2018 (.239/.299/.385), but he did not see action at the highest level last season. That was due largely to a shoulder injury that limited him to just 22 games for Triplle-A Salt Lake. Briceno will now get a chance to continue any necessary rehab with the big-league club, though it's expected that Jason Castro and Max Stassi will serve as the primary catchers once the regular season begins.

Taylor Cole - Day-To-Day - Shoulder

7/22 4:37 PM EST - Cole has a shoulder issue, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. It's unclear when the injury first cropped up for the 31-year-old, and the severity of it is also unknown. Cole seems unlikely to be available for the start of the season, though he there's a decent chance he wouldn't have been on the Opening Day roster regardless.

Parker Markel - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/23 4:16 PM EST - Markel (undisclosed) is not included on the Angels' 30-man roster. Markel missed all of summer camp while dealing with an undisclosed issue, so his exclusion from the Opening Day roster is not surprising. The right-hander was far from a lock to make break camp with the squad in any case after allowing 19 earned runs in 22 innings last season as a member of the Mariners and Pirates.

Brandon Marsh - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/23 4:20 PM EST - Marsh (undisclosed) did not make the Angels' 30-man roster. Though he is among the top prospects in the Angels' system, Marsh was not expected to break camp with the club since he has yet to move past the Double-A level. The 22-year-old will instead open the campaign at the team's alternate training site.

Dillon Peters - 10-Day IL - Oblique

7/23 4:27 PM EST - Peters (oblique) is not included on the Angels' 30-man roster. Peters missed all of summer camp while dealing with an oblique issue, so his exclusion from the active roster is no surprise. The 27-year-old is likely to be part of the big-league bullpen at some point this season, though it is unclear when he'll be able to rejoin the club.

Jose Quijada - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/23 4:40 PM EST - Quijada (undisclosed) is not included on the Angels' 30-man roster. Quijada missed all of summer camp while dealing with an undisclosed issue, so his absence from the active roster was inevitable. The southpaw was optioned to the minors in mid-March, thus he isn't likely to have a spot in the big-league bullpen even after he returns to pitching.

Anthony Rendon - Out - Oblique

7/23 9:56 AM EST - The Angels included Rendon (oblique) on their season-opening 30-man roster released Thursday. Rendon will at least temporarily avoid the 10-day injured list while he battles a tight oblique, but manager Joe Maddon has already ruled out the high-priced third baseman for the Angels' Opening Day game Friday versus the Athletics. The Angels' training staff will likely monitor Rendon's condition on a day-to-day basis before determining when he might be fit to make his season and team debut. David Fletcher and Matt Thaiss are expected to serve as the primary options at the hot corner until Rendon is good to go.

Luis Rengifo - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

7/23 4:44 PM EST - Rengifo (hamstring/undisclosed) is not on the Angels' 30-man roster. Rengifo missed most of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and then tweaked his hamstring after reporting in mid-July. His timeline for returning to action remains unclear.

Jacob Rhame - Out - Undisclosed

7/21 5:23 PM EST - Rhame (undisclosed) cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Angels' alternate training site Tuesday. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Mets in early July, but he wasn't able to report to camp until last week and was unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. Rhame has been removed from the 40-man roster, but he could still be a factor for the Angels at some point this season.

Jose Soriano - Out - Elbow

2/13 10:45 AM EST - Soriano underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the entire 2020 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. This is a tough break for Soriano, who compiled a 2.55 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 77.2 innings with Low-A Burlington in 2019. The 21-year-old righty will now begin a long recovery process that will likely keep him sidelined into the 2021 season.

Jose Suarez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/23 4:48 PM EST - Suarez (undisclosed) is not part of the Angels' Opening Day roster. Suarez did not participate in summer camp due to an undisclosed issue, so his absence from the 30-man roster was inevitable. The Angels do not have a pressing need for a starter, so it's likely that Suarez will end up in the bullpen -- or at the team's alternate training site -- when he is ready to return.

Julio Teheran - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

7/22 4:16 PM EST - Teheran (illness) completed a bullpen session Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. The 29-year-old was cleared to join team workouts over the weekend after previously missing game due to COVID-19, so he still has some work to do before reaching game readiness. Teheran figures to remain on the COVID-19 injured list to start the seaons, and he is scheduled to throw two innings during his next bullpen session. Given the lack of buildup, he'll likely won't enter the rotation before the first week of August.

Oakland Athletics

Daulton Jefferies - Out - Biceps

3/6 10:10 PM EST - Jefferies (biceps) was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports. The move comes as no surprise, as Jefferies was expected to start the season with Las Vegas and has also been sidelined with a biceps strain that short-circuited his opportunity to get further seasoning in big-league camp. The 24-year-old's status will certainly be one to monitor, as a 2019 campaign that was good enough earn him the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year award has led to expectations that the talented right-hander could eventually reach the big leagues at some point in 2020.

Dean Kiekhefer - Day-To-Day - Undisclosed

3/3 3:34 PM EST - Kiekhefer was sent to minor-league spring training Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports. Kiekhefer appeared in four games for the Athletics in 2018, although he got lit up for four runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings of work. He figures to start the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas.

A.J. Puk - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/21 4:31 PM EST - Puk (shoulder) will be sidelined at least two weeks after receiving a cortisone injection, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports. The 25-year-old landed on the injured list Monday with a left shoulder strain, which appears to be a related to the issue he dealt with in the spring. Puk could face a longer recovery timeline, but for now he'll rest for a couple days before potentially attempting to throw again. Daniel Mengden will step into the A's starting rotation to begin the season.

Angels Expected Lineup:

SP – Andrew Heaney

1. Tommy La Stella

2. Mike Trout

3. Shohei Ohtani

4. Justin Upton

5. Albert Pujols

6. Jason Castro

7. Andrelton Simmons

8. Brian Goodwin

9. David Fletcher

Athletics Expected Lineup:

SP - Frankie Montas

1. Marcus Semien

2. Matt Chapman

3. Matt Olson

4. Khris Davis

5. Mark Canha

6. Ramon Laureano

7. Stephen Piscotty

8. Franklin Barreto

9. Sean Murphy

RotoWire.com Projections:

Mike Trout, LAA - OF

• Credits: 17
• Proj. D11 Pts: 14.17

Anthony Rendon, LAA - IF

• Credits: 16.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Albert Pujols, LAA - IF

• Credits: 15.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 8.69

Andrew Heaney, LAA - P

• Credits: 15
• Proj. D11 Pts: 13.23

Tommy La Stella, LAA - IF

• Credits: 14.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.51

Marcus Semien, OAK - IF

• Credits: 14
• Proj. D11 Pts: 12.17

David Fletcher, LAA - IF

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 8.27

Griffin Canning, LAA - P

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Shohei Ohtani, LAA - P

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Julio Teheran, LAA - P

• Credits: 13.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Matt Chapman, OAK - IF

• Credits: 13
• Proj. D11 Pts: 11.03

Kyle Keller, LAA - P

• Credits: 13
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Parker Markel, LAA - P

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Matt Olson, OAK - IF

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.58

Dylan Bundy, LAA - P

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Ramon Laureano, OAK - OF

• Credits: 12
• Proj. D11 Pts: 12.01

Ryan Buchter, LAA - P

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Andrelton Simmons, LAA - IF

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.25

Felix Pena, LAA - P

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Liam Hendriks, OAK - P

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Justin Upton, LAA - OF

• Credits: 11.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.91

Mark Canha, OAK - OF

• Credits: 11
• Proj. D11 Pts: 11.04

Khris Davis, OAK - OF

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 11.24

Frankie Montas, OAK - P

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 12.29

Luke Bard, LAA - P

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Hansel Robles, LAA - P

• Credits: 10.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Brian Goodwin, LAA - OF

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.38

Stephen Piscotty, OAK - OF

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.60

Robbie Grossman, OAK - OF

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.12

Mike Fiers, OAK - P

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jose Quijada, LAA - P

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Sean Murphy, OAK - C

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.93

Yusmeiro Petit, OAK - P

• Credits: 10
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Sean Manaea, OAK - P

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Chad Pinder, OAK - OF

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.15

Chris Bassitt, OAK - P

• Credits: 9.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Austin Allen, OAK - C

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.06

J.B. Wendelken, OAK - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Tony Kemp, OAK - OF

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.24

Jose Suarez, LAA - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Matt Andriese, LAA - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Justin Anderson, LAA - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jason Castro, LAA - C

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 9.26

Ty Buttrey, LAA - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Michael Hermosillo, LAA - OF

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.76

Joakim Soria, OAK - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jesus Luzardo, OAK - P

• Credits: 9
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Seth Brown, OAK - OF

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.90

Sheldon Neuse, OAK - IF

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Luis Rengifo, LAA - IF

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Dillon Peters, LAA - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Matt Thaiss, LAA - IF

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 3.20

Max Stassi, LAA - C

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.83

Cam Bedrosian, LAA - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Noe Ramirez, LAA - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

A.J. Puk, OAK - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Daniel Mengden, OAK - P

• Credits: 8.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Franklin Barreto, OAK - IF

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 10.43

Jonah Heim, OAK - C

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jake Diekman, OAK - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Mike Mayers, LAA - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Taylor Ward, LAA - OF

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.76

Lou Trivino, OAK - P

• Credits: 8
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Jaime Barria, LAA - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Burch Smith, OAK - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Paul Blackburn, OAK - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Hector Yan, LAA - P

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Skye Bolt, OAK - OF

• Credits: 7.5
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.90

Dustin Fowler, OAK - OF

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.90

Grant Holmes, OAK - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Daniel Gossett, OAK - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Patrick Sandoval, LAA - P

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 0.00

Vimael Machin, OAK - IF

• Credits: 7
• Proj. D11 Pts: 2.90

Top Picks From Each Team:

Matt Chapman, Athletics: The star third baseman is coming off a career year in 2019, as he finished with 36 home runs, 91 RBI, 102 runs scored and a .848 OPS – he bested several offensive categories compared to what he did during his breakout 2018 season. He is expected to be a driving force in the middle of the Athletics lineup once again.

Mike Trout, Angels: Trout might cost 17 credits, but he is a solid option for a captaincy role due to his ability to impact the game in several areas at the same time. He is coming off another stellar season in 2019, where he finished with 45 home runs, 104 RBI, 137 hits, 110 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, and a 1.083 OPS on route to winning the AL MVP Award.

Captaincy Options:

1. Mike Trout
2. Matt Chapman
3. Khris Davis
4. Justin Upton

Dream11 Team

P – Frankie Montas

C – Jason Castro

IF – Matt Chapman (VC)

IF – Marcus Semien

IF – Jared Walsh

OF – Stephen Piscotty

OF – Khris Davis

OF – Justin Upton

OF – Mike Trout (C)

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.