Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Astros at Diamondbacks

Houston Astros (5-4) at Arizona Diamondbacks (3-7)

Wednesday, August 5th, 9:10 PM EDT

Projected starters

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs LHP Robbie Ray (0-2, 8.64 ERA)

Game Preview

The Diamondbacks have won just three games this season, and it's clear the season has not gone as expected for the Arizona-based club. The same can't be said about the Astros as they sit one game above the .500 (5-4) and they have good chances of making a pennant run since the AL West is quite open. The pitching matchup also favors Houston, at least on paper, as Lance McCullers has as 5.40 ERA compared to Robbie Ray's 8.64. ERAs aside, the Astros also have a stronger offense and that should make things complicated for Arizona's lefty. Ray has walked seven batters in 10 innings so far.

Injuries

Arizona Diamondbacks

Seth Beer - Out - Face

7/15 9:08 PM EST - Beer was diagnosed with a contusion after being hit in the face with a one-hopper during Wednesday's intrasquad game, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Manager Torey Lovullo said the 23-year-old didn't sustain a concussion, so he appears to have escaped the situation with only a bruise. Beer missed some time early in summer training after testing positive for COVID-19, and he may take it easy for a couple days after Wednesday's incident.

Silvino Bracho - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/5 6:11 PM EST - Bracho (elbow) has tested positive for COVID-19, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Bracho was already placed on the 60-day injured list Monday as he continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March of 2019. He suffered a setback in his recovery while play was suspended, so he might not be ready to play at any point in 2020. However, manager Torey Lovullo revealed Sunday that Bracho was one of three Diamondbacks to test positive for coronavirus, although he is asymptomatic.

Jon Duplantier - Out - Elbow

7/10 5:15 AM EST - Duplantier (elbow) is slowly ramping up a throwing program, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Duplantier is working back from elbow soreness that cropped up in April. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said it's likely the right-hander will not be ready to go when the season begins July 24. As a rookie in 2019, Duplantier logged a 4.42 ERA over 36.2 innings mostly as a reliever. He was expected to serve in a starting role in 2020, though he is not currently part of the projected five-man rotation.

Mike Leake - Out - Opt Out

6/29 11:08 AM EST - Leake will opt out of participating in the 2020 season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. He was included on the initial version of the Diamondbacks' 60-man roster and would have been fighting for a rotation spot in July. While Leake is the first known player to opt out of playing this year, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Leake has made just shy of $95 million in his career and there are obviously health risks involved with playing during a pandemic. Alex Young now appears to be Arizona's sixth starter in case one of the top five guys gets injured. Leake says he looks forward to playing in 2021. Arizona will either pay him $18 million next season for the final year of his contract or buy him out for $5 million.

Domingo Leyba - Out - Suspension

3/6 12:13 PM EST - Leyba received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Leyba was called up for his major-league debut in September and made a quality first impression with a .280/.367/.440 slash line in 21 games, and he had a chance to begin the season in a utility role for the Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old will instead miss the first half of the season.

Corbin Martin - 10-Day IL - Elbow

7/23 8:52 AM EST - The Diamondbacks placed Martin (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. The Diamondbacks likely aren't counting on Martin being a major contributor in 2020 after he underwent Tommy John surgery last July, but the fact that he was included in the 60-man player pool at least implies that his rehab is going according to plan. He'll likely be a top candidate to shift to the 45-day IL at some point later this season in the event the Diamondbacks need to open up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/1 2:38 PM EST - Alvarez (undisclosed) is roughly 10-14 days away from being ready to join the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Alvarez missed the entirety of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and was said to be week away from game action upon his return. He still appears to be on that timeline, giving Kyle Tucker a clear path to the primary designated hitter role for most of the next two weeks.

Rogelio Armenteros - 10-Day IL - Elbow

7/23 11:16 AM EST - Armenteros (elbow) was placed on the 10-day IL on Thursday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. This was expected, as Armenteros is still rehabbing from March elbow surgery. If all goes well, he could be cleared to pitch before the end of the season.

Joe Biagini - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/28 2:55 PM EST - Biagini hit the injured list with shoulder soreness Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Biagini allowed a run on two hits while recording just two outs in his lone appearance of the season Sunday against Seattle. It's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Andre Scrubb was called up to take his place in the bullpen.

Michael Brantley - Day-To-Day - Quadriceps

8/5 4:49 AM EST - Brantley did not play Tuesday due to a quadriceps injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Brantley has been hobbled since he stepped on the toe of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly last week, but Tuesday's game was the first he's missed because of it. Houston manager Dusty Baker said the quad bothered Brantley the last couple of days and described him as day-to-day. Baker may avoid using the outfielder Wednesday as well. Kyle Tucker replaced him in left field Tuesday.

Chris Devenski - 10-Day IL - Arm

8/1 3:38 PM EST - Devenski (arm) landed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Devenski has pitched twice this season, allowing three runs in two innings of work. He's yet to be diagnosed with anything other than arm soreness, but it's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Carlos Sanabria was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

Aledmys Diaz - 10-Day IL - Groin

7/25 4:52 PM EST - Diaz said Saturday that his groin strain is between Grade 1 and Grade 2, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Diaz's left Friday's game against the Mariners with the injury and landed on the injured list Saturday. It's not exactly clear when he's expected to return, but it sounds as though he could miss a few weeks, which would represent a significant portion of the shortened season. With Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed) still weeks away from game action, the Astros will have to figure out what to do at designated hitter against lefties, which could involve some combination of Kyle Tucker, Abraham Toro or Taylor Jones.

Kent Emanuel - Out - Elbow

7/1 6:06 AM EST - Emanuel was omitted from the Astros' 60-man roster pool released Sunday due to an elbow injury, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. It's unclear when Emanuel first sustained the injury, but he only recently resumed throwing and isn't expected to be ready to go when the season begins July 23. Houston still has four openings in the 60-man pool, so Emanuel could conceivably be added at a later date if he shakes off the injury within the next few weeks.

Francis Martes - Suspension - Suspension

2/17 2:35 PM EST - Martes was hit with a year-long suspension Monday after a second failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Martes picked up an 80-game suspension at the start of last season after testing positive for Clomiphene in March. After testing positive for Boldenone this time around, he'll miss a full 162 games. His stock will be quite low when he's eligible to return in 2021, as a combination of failed drug tests and Tommy John surgery will have conspired to limit him to just 25 total innings from 2018 to 2020.

Zack Matthews - Out - Elbow

6/19 6:35 PM EST - Matthews (elbow) has signed a contract with the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Matthews, who possesses a 98 MPH fastball, probably would have been drafted but underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. He pitched in four games before undergoing the surgery. The right-hander pitched out of Oklahoma's bullpen over his first two seasons with the Sooners, striking out 43 over 33.2 innings.

Roberto Osuna - 10-Day IL - Elbow

8/4 11:11 AM EST - Osuna's (elbow) initial diagnosis is that he needs Tommy John surgery, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports. He is getting a second opinion. Things seemed to be trending in this direction for Osuna, given some quotes earlier in the day from manager Dusty Baker. Even if he does not undergo the procedure in the imminent future, he won't be pitching in games for the Astros anytime soon, so he is a cut in most redraft leagues. Ryan Pressly is the strong favorite to become the Astros' closer going forward. He has the upside to finish the season as a top-10 closer if he holds the role. If Osuna were to get Tommy John surgery soon, he would not be a lock to return during the 2021 season.

Brad Peacock - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/28 2:25 PM EST - Peacock (shoulder) is making progress and has been throwing off flat ground, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Peacock has been dealing with a sore shoulder, a potentially worrisome injury given that he also dealt with shoulder troubles last season. While it's certainly a positive that he's making progress, his expected return date is not yet clear.

Cionel Perez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

7/24 11:19 AM EST - Perez (undisclosed) was cleared to participate in baseball activities Friday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. The young southpaw was placed on the injured list with an unspecified reason July 13, but he'll now head to the Astros' alternate training site to resume workouts. Perez could be a long relief option at some point this season for Houston, but it's unclear when he'll be game ready.

Austin Pruitt - 10-Day IL - Elbow

7/27 7:44 PM EST - Pruitt (elbow) has been shut down from throwing, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. This is an ominous sign for a pitcher who was diagnosed with elbow inflammation a couple weeks ago. Given the shortened season, it's quite possible Pruitt won't be heard from at all in 2020. The Astros are very shorthanded in the pitching department, as Justin Verlander, Ryan Pressly and Chris Devenski have all been diagnosed with arm injuries in the last 48 hours.

Joe Smith - Out - Personal

7/15 6:15 AM EST - The Astros placed Smith (personal) on the restricted list Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Smith has yet to report to summer camp while tending to a personal matter, and the 36-year-old is apparently still weighing whether or not he even wants to play in 2020 due to concerns about the health and safety of his family. The Astros' decision to place Smith on the restricted list opens up a spot on the 40-man roster while the team waits for him to decide on his status for the season.

Peter Solomon - Out - Elbow

7/25 1:29 PM EST - Solomon is recovering from Tommy John surgery, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reports. He suffered the injury in April and will be out until late in the 2020 season, at the earliest. Solomon, a fourth-round pick in 2017, was a promising starting pitching prospect but will be 24 years old when he is back pitching in games and has yet to pitch above High-A.

Jose Urquidy - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/1 2:45 PM EST - Urquidy (undisclosed) could return in two weeks as a reliever or in three or four as a starter, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Urquidy missed the entirety of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and apparently wasn't able to ramp up at all while away from the team. The Astros have quite a number of injuries in both their rotation and bullpen, so it's possible they opt to bring Urquidy back in a bullpen role simply to get as many innings as they can from him as soon as possible.

Justin Verlander - 10-Day IL - Forearm

7/26 4:46 PM EST - Verlander (forearm) was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. The move isn't surprising after manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Verlander would be shut down for a couple weeks with a right forearm strain. The 36-year-old's availability for later in the season could become more clear once he's re-evaluated after his period of rest, but Verlander confirmed that there's a possibility for him to return at some point in 2020.

Forrest Whitley - Out - Arm

8/5 5:11 AM EST - Whitley (arm) will be seen by a doctor before the Astros map out their next move, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Whitley was shut down last week with arm soreness, and the Astros want to take a measured approach with their top pitching prospect. The right-hander has had dealt with injuries since 2018.

Diamondbacks Expected Lineup

SP - Robbie Ray

1. Ketel Marte

2. David Peralta

3. Starling Marte

4. Eduardo Escobar

5. Christian Walker

6. Kole Calhoun

7. Carson Kelly

8. Jake Lamb

9. Nick Ahmed

Astros Expected Lineup

SP - Lance McCullers

1. George Springer

2. Jose Altuve

3. Alex Bregman

4. Michael Brantley

5. Yuli Gurriel

6. Carlos Correa

7. Josh Reddick

8. Martin Maldonado

9. Kyle Tucker

Top Picks From Each Team

Jose Altuve, Astros: Altuve went 1-for-5 in Tuesday's win over the Diamondbacks and, despite the fact he has gone just 3-for-16 in his last three games, he should get hot at any minute. He has a .625 average in eight at-bats against Robbie Ray in his career, so that could indicate this is the game where he bounces back for good.

Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks: Marte was one of the best all-around offensive players in the National League during 2019, and he has continued down that path for Arizona in 2020. He has hit safely in eight of the team's first 11 games, posting a .286 average with a .740 OPS in that stretch.

Captaincy Options

1. Jose Altuve
2. George Springer
3. Ketel Marte
4. Carlos Correa

Dream11 Team

P – Lance McCullers

C – Martin Maldonado

IF – Carlos Correa (VC)

IF – Jose Altuve (C)

IF – Ketel Marte

IF – Ildemaro Vargas

OF – Kyle Tucker

OF – George Springer

OF – Starling Marte