Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Braves at Phillies

Atlanta Braves (9-6) at Philadelphia Phillies (4-4)

Monday, August 10th, 6:05 PM EDT

Projected starters

LHP Sean Newcomb (0-1, 6.57 ERA) vs RHP Aaron Nola (0-1, 3.97 ERA)

Game Preview

The Phillies and the Braves are the two top teams in the NL East – at least on paper – but only the Braves have managed to back that up with their play, as they've gone 9-4 in their first 13 games of the season. The Phillies have stumbled to a 4-4 mark, although not everything is their fault – they spent several days without playing as a precautionary move due to the COVID-19 outbreak that affected the Miami Marlins a few weeks ago. The starting pitching duel for this contest will feature two capable arms that have not lived up to the expectations just yet, with Aaron Nola getting the ball for the Phillies and Sean Newcomb starting for Atlanta. Nola is by far the best pitcher of the two, but Newcomb might have an easier time on the mound solely because Atlanta have a stronger lineup.

Injuries

Atlanta Braves

Matt Adams - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

8/5 8:34 AM EST - The Braves placed Adams (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. As expected, Adams will be sidelined for at least the next week and a half while he recovers from the left hamstring he strained in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Blue Jays. Adams had been serving as the Braves' primary designated hitter this season, but Marcell Ozuna should now assume those duties, leaving Adam Duvall, Nick Markakis and Austin Riley to vie for time in the open corner-outfield spot.

Ozzie Albies - 10-Day IL - Wrist

8/5 1:23 PM EST - Albies (wrist) will be shut down for a week to see if his injury heals, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Albies was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Wednesday, but manager Brian Snitker revealed that he won't throw or hit for at least a week. Snitker said that it could take longer than a week for the injury to heal, so it's unclear when he'll be ready to return to the field. Adeiny Hechavarria and Johan Camargo should see increased time at second base as long as Albies is sidelined.

Yonder Alonso - Out - Not Injury Related

7/27 9:55 AM EST - Alonso was placed on the restricted list Monday. The reason for the move is not entirely clear. Alonso was outrighted off the 40-man roster Thursday, but it seems as though he won't be part of the team's player pool at the Braves' alternate training site.

Cole Hamels - 60-Day IL - Triceps

7/23 1:57 PM EST - Hamels (triceps) was placed on the 45-day injured list Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Not much has gone right for Hamels since he signed with the Braves; he dealt with a shoulder issue early in camp before landing on the IL last week with triceps tendinitis. Following this most recent move, the southpaw will be sidelined until at least the beginning of September. Kyle Wright and Josh Tomlin are candidates to fill in for Hamels in the rotation.

Felix Hernandez - Out - Opt Out

7/4 7:58 PM EST - Hernandez will opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19, according to his agent, Wilfredo Polidor. The veteran right-hander was included on the team's 60-player roster pool and was competing with Sean Newcomb for a spot in the starting rotation, but he'll elect to sit out the 60-game season to help protect himself and his family, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Hernandez joins the growing list of players who have opted out, including David Price, Ryan Zimmerman, Welington Castillo and Joe Ross. Kyle Wright figures to be the next man up to compete for a rotation spot for Atlanta.

Chris Martin - 10-Day IL - Neck

8/7 12:46 PM EST - Martin was placed on the 10-day injured list with an esophageal constriction Friday. Martin last pitched Wednesday and delivered a scoreless inning, and it's unclear when and how he suffered the injury. The 34-year-old has no official timeline for his return.

Cristian Pache - Out - Ankle

7/15 1:12 PM EST - Pache was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right ankle sprain Wednesday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Pache picked up the injury attempting to steal second base during Monday's intrasquad game. The 21-year-old is back at the team's camp in Gwinnett for the time being. While manager Brian Snitker downplayed the severity of the injury, the skipper added that Pache is "gonna need a few days."

Philip Pfeifer - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/21 8:42 AM EST - Pfeifer was placed on the 45-day injured list Tuesday with a bone contusion in his left elbow, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports. Pfeifer didn't seem likely to fill a significant role in the Braves' bullpen this season, as he's a 28-year-old who's yet to reach the majors. He'll now be ineligible to make his debut until early September at the earliest.

Mike Soroka - 60-Day IL - Achilles

8/8 3:25 PM EST - Soroka underwent successful surgery on his torn right Achilles' tendon Friday. Soroka had to be helped off the field after suffering the injury in his third start of the season against the Mets on Monday. He'll be out for the remainder of the season, and his readiness for Opening Day next year is in doubt as well.

Jeremy Walker - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

6/26 11:36 AM EST - Walker was placed on the 45-day injured list Friday with a right shoulder impingement. The 25-year-old suffered the injury early in spring camp and was never provided an official timetable for his return, but he clearly needs more time to recover. Walker made his big-league debut in 2019 and allowed two runs over 9.1 innings, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play during the shortened 2020 season.

Jacob Webb - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

7/21 8:30 AM EST - Webb was placed on the 45-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Tuesday, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports. Webb could have played a role in Atlanta's bullpen this season, as he produced a strong 1.39 ERA in his 32.1-inning debut last year, but he'll now be sidelined for at least the majority of the campaign. It's not clear when he's expected to return, but he won't be eligible to do so until early September.

Philadelphia Phillies

Victor Arano - Day-To-Day - Shoulder

7/18 1:13 PM EST - Arano (shoulder) was optioned to the Phillies' alternate camp site Saturday, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports. Arano missed much of last season due to elbow surgery, though it was shoulder soreness that held him back in summer camp. Saturday's move lines up with previous reports that the righty was behind schedule, though when exactly he'll be ready for game action remains to be seen.

Seranthony Dominguez - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/30 11:07 AM EST - Dominquez had successful Tommy John surgery Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. This was expected. Dominquez will now begin a lengthy rehab process that will likely keep him sidelined for 12-plus months.

Reggie McClain - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/6 2:58 PM EST - McClain was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder impingement, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports. McClain spent the past several days on the paternity list, but he'll be sidelined longer due to a shoulder issue. The transaction is retroactive to Aug. 3, so the right-hander will be eligible to return as early as Aug. 14, when the team begins a series against the Mets. However, the severity of the injury is unclear, and the team hasn't announced when McClain could return. He had made just two relief appearances in low-leverage situations for Philadelphia to begin the season.

David Robertson - 60-Day IL - Elbow

4/30 5:17 PM EST - Robertson (elbow) could be helped by the delayed start to the regular season, as previous reports from Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic indicated he hoped to be back from Tommy John surgery around the midpoint of the season's original schedule. Robertson underwent Tommy John surgery back in August of 2019, so his goal of being back halfway through the campaign may have always been overly ambitious. Still, if the season extends into October and beyond, there's a much greater chance of the veteran making an impact than had previously seemed possible. Robertson has thrown just 6.2 innings for the Phillies since singing a two-year, $23 million deal with the team prior to the 2019 campaign, but he has 137 career saves to his name and could potentially add a handful more if and when he returns.

Ranger Suarez - Covid-19 - Undisclosed

7/3 10:44 AM EST - Suarez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Phillies didn't initially specify why Suarez and three of his teammates were placed on the injured list, but it's since been revealed that all four are on the COVID-19 injured list rather than the normal 10-day injured list. That doesn't necessarily mean that any of them actually have the virus, as players can land on that list simply due to having had contact with someone who tested positive. It's not clear when Suarez is expected to return to the field, but even a minor delay may take him out of the running for an Opening Day rotation spot, something which seemed like a long shot to begin with.

Phillies Expected Lineup

SP - Aaron Nola

1. Andrew McCutchen

2. J.T. Realmuto

3. Bryce Harper

4. Rhys Hoskins

5. Didi Gregorius

6. Jean Segura

7. Scott Kingery

8. Neil Walker

9. Roman Quinn

Braves Expected Lineup

SP - Sean Newcomb

1. Ronald Acuna

2. Dansby Swanson

3. Freddie Freeman

4. Marcell Ozuna

5. Austin Riley

6. Nick Markakis

7. Travis d'Arnaud

8. Ender Inciarte

9. Johan Camargo

Top Picks From Each Team

Ronald Acuna, Braves: Acuna got off to a slow start this season, but the star outfielder has been picking things up at the plate of late and belted three homers during Sunday's double-header slate against the Phillies. The 22-year-old superstar raised his season OPS to .913 with nine extra-base hits in 76 plate appearances after a combined 5-for-8 on Sunday.

Bryce Harper, Phillies: Harper has gone five straight games without a home run, and that seems like an eternity for the superstar outfielder. He has hit safely in three of the Phillies' last four games, however, hitting .333 with three runs scored in that stretch. The power will come alone if he keeps hitting the ball like this.

Captaincy Options

1. Ronald Acuna
2. Bryce Harper
3. Marcell Ozuna
4. Freddie Freeman

Dream11 Team

P – Sean Newcomb

C – J.T. Realmuto

IF – Johan Camargo

IF – Freddie Freeman

IF – Jean Segura

OF – Bryce Harper (VC)

OF – Ronald Acuna (C)

OF – Andrew McCutchen

OF – Marcell Ozuna