Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Brewers at Tigers

Milwaukee Brewers (18-22) at Detroit Tigers (19-21)

September 9th, Wednesday, 1:10 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Corbin Burnes (2-0, 2.35 ERA) vs LHP Matthew Boyd (1-5, 6.64 ERA)

Game Preview

The Tigers continue with their rebuilding efforts and, even though their playoff chances are slim considering the fact they are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, they seem to be on the rise after several years of being one of the weakest teams in the American League. The Brewers, on the other hand, have looked disappointing and, with them sitting four games below the .500 threshold, they will have a tough road ahead of them even if they want to reach one of the two NL Wild Card spots available. The pitching matchup will feature two hurlers on the rise and, although it's clear Corbin Burnes has the better numbers, Boyd can't be counted out, either – he is coming off back-to-back quality starts while fanning 29 across his last four outings.

Injuries

Detroit Tigers

Dario Agrazal - 60-Day IL - Forearm

8/19 12:13 PM EST - Agrazal (forearm) was placed on the 45-day injured list Wednesday. He had been sidelined with forearm tendinitis, but this essentially ends his 2020 season. Agrazal was throwing as recently as last week, so it looks like he is hoping to avoid surgery.

Daz Cameron - Covid-19 - Illness

8/31 11:50 AM EST - Cameron is on the COVID-19 injured list but is just days away from completing his "rehab," Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. The giveaway that Cameron is on the COVID-19 IL is that the Tigers' 40-man roster is currently at 41 players; players on the COVID-19 IL do not count as being on the 40-man roster. Once he's healthy, it's possible Cameron could make his MLB debut this season, as the Tigers may want to evaluate him against MLB pitching.

Harold Castro - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

9/8 1:41 PM EST - Manager Ron Gardenhire said Tuesday that Castro is dealing with some tightness in his right hamstring, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. Castro was getting close to making his return from the injured list after dealing with a left hamstring strain, but he felt some tightness in his right hamstring recently that will keep him sidelined for several more days. The setback isn't believed to be serious, and Gardenhire said that Castro's getting close to being ready to return to game action.

C.J. Cron - 60-Day IL - Knee

8/19 12:08 PM EST - Cron (knee) was placed on the 45-day injured list Wednesday. He elected season-ending surgery on his sprained left knee last week, so this is just a formality to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Cron will be a free agent this offseason.

Alex Faedo - Out - Forearm

8/27 11:50 AM EST - Faedo (forearm) was shut down for the remainder of the 2020 season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. Faedo is dealing with what general manager Al Avila dubbed a "slight" forearm strain, and with a little more than a month left in the abbreviated season, the Tigers opted to shut down the right-hander. The hope is that Faedo will be able to avoid surgery.

Niko Goodrum - 10-Day IL - Oblique

9/5 1:41 PM EST - Goodrum was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, retroactive to Wednesday. Goodrum was set to miss his fourth consecutive game Saturday, and he'll head to the injured list to recover. It's unclear how much time he'll need to heal. Sergio Alcantara was recalled in a corresponding move and should serve in a depth role as Willi Castro should handle most of the work at shortstop.

Carlos Guzman - Out - Elbow

5/22 6:33 PM EST - Guzman was placed on the minor-league injured list Monday with a right elbow strain, Emily Waldon of The Athletic reports. Guzman has enjoyed a nice start to the season at Low-A West Michigan with a 2.73 ERA and 1.24 WHIP despite a 27:18 K:BB through seven starts. It's not known how long the 21-year-old is expected to be sidelined.

JaCoby Jones - 10-Day IL - Hand

9/2 1:34 PM EST - Jones (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Jones suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch Tuesday and should miss the remainder of the season as a result. His placement on the injured list clears space on the active roster for Derek Hill, who was recalled in a corresponding move. It's unclear whether Jones will require surgery.

Matt Manning - Out - Forearm

8/27 11:10 AM EST - Manning has been shut down for the remainder of the season with a right forearm strain, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports. General manager Al Avila described the injury as a "slight" strain, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, and the Tigers felt the best thing to do would be to shut the prospect down for the rest of the abbreviated 2020 season. The hope is that Manning will be able to avoid surgery, though whether he's able to do so will likely depend on how his forearm responds to rest and non-surgical methods of treatment.

Ivan Nova - 10-Day IL - Triceps

9/1 4:04 PM EST - Nova (triceps) has been throwing long toss and will advance to mound work soon, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports. Nova has been out with triceps tendinitis since mid-August. He appears to still have time to return before the end of the season, though exactly when he's expected to do so remains unclear.

Reynaldo Rivera - Out - Suspension

8/7 1:54 PM EST - Rivera was suspended 80 games Wednesday for testing positive for Trenbolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. Rivera was a second-round pick back in 2017. He's had very little professional success thus far, hitting .213/.288/.345 overall, good for just an 87 wRC+.

Jonathan Schoop - Day-To-Day - Wrist

9/8 7:54 PM EST - Schoop (wrist) had X-rays come back negative and is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday against the Brewers, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. The 28-year-old exited Tuesday's contest after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist, but he may not miss any additional time. Schoop is 7-for-27 with two triples, a double and three RBI through eight games in September.

Troy Stokes - 60-Day IL - Hand

8/7 2:06 PM EST - Stokes (hand) was recalled and placed on the 45-day injured list Friday. Stokes may not play at all this year after undergoing hand surgery in early July. If he does return, it will come quite late in the season.

Joey Wentz - Out - Elbow

4/27 5:51 PM EST - Wentz (elbow) is beginning his rehab from Tommy John surgery at the Tigers' spring training facility in Florida, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports. Wentz underwent the procedure in mid-March, and he is now one of just three Detroit players currently still in Lakeland, joining Michael Fulmer (elbow) and Shao-Ching Chiang. The 22-year-old will of course ease into activity, but he should be able to continue his rehab work in relative isolation while MLB play is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Wentz will still likely be out until the second half of the 2021 season.

Jordan Zimmermann - 60-Day IL - Forearm

9/1 4:23 PM EST - Zimmerman (forearm) will complete the live batting practice portion of his throwing progression Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. Zimmerman has spent the early portion of the season recovering from the strained right forearm he suffered back in mid-July. It remains to be seen what sort of role he'll play for the surprisingly competitive Tigers upon his return.

Milwaukee Brewers

Ray Black - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

8/13 12:53 PM EST - Black (shoulder) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Thursday. Black has been sidelined all season with a strained right rotator cuff, and he won't be eligible to return until September following this move. The right-hander will likely fill a middle-relief role if he returns this season.

Lorenzo Cain - Out - Opt Out

8/2 4:04 PM EST - The Brewers placed Cain (personal) on the restricted list Saturday. Cain's addition to the restricted list was a formality after he informed the team Saturday that he would opt out of the 2020 season. The Brewers are expected to proceed with Ben Gamel as their primary center fielder for the remainder of the campaign.

Nathan Kirby - Day-To-Day - Neck

3/7 8:20 AM EST - Kirby (neck/rib) is throwing live batting practice sessions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Kirby missed all of the 2019 season after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery and then fracturing a rib, but he has been able to get up on the mound this spring. Injuries have been the name of the game for Kirby, who has appeared in just 32 minor-league games since being selected 40th overall in 2015. In an effort to keep him healthy, the Brewers will use Kirby exclusively as a reliever moving forward.

Caden Lemons - Out - Hip

8/21 6:47 PM EST - Lemons underwent right hip surgery earlier in August and will be out for the rest of the season, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Lemons never saw game action in 2019 but is expected to be ready to go come spring training. The 20-year-old has a 4.26 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 28:14 K:BB through his first 13 games in rookie ball since being drafted 46th overall in the 2017 draft..

Shelby Miller - Out - Opt Out

8/3 1:52 PM EST - Miller opted out of the 2020 season Monday. Miller didn't make the Brewers' Opening Day roster and was working at the team's alternate training site in Appleton. However, he'll elect to sit out the remainder of the season in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers during the offseason but should be ready to compete for a role with a major-league pitching staff ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Manny Pina - 10-Day IL - Knee

9/1 9:22 AM EST - Pina underwent surgery on the torn meniscus in his right knee Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. The Brewers haven't officially ruled Pina out for the season, but it seems very likely that the catcher is done for the year given the surgery's typical recovery time. Jacob Nottingham should back up Omar Narvaez behind the plate for the remainder of the campaign.

Bobby Wahl - Out - Arm

9/1 3:58 PM EST - Wahl is dealing with an arm issue at the Brewers' alternate training site, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Wahl had been working in Appleton since the end of July, but he's been shut down while dealing with an arm issue. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear.

Freddy Zamora - Out - Knee

6/11 2:56 PM EST - The Brewers have selected Zamora (knee) with the 53rd overall pick in the 2020 first-year player draft. One of the best defensive shortstops in the class, Zamora has a well-rounded skill set, but he didn't play collegiately in 2020 after tearing his ACL. He hit .300 with an 11.3 percent walk rate and 9.3 percent strikeout rate at Miami, and he went from one home run as a freshman to six home runs as a sophomore. Zamora also put his above-average speed to work, going 33-for-40 (82.5 percent) on stolen-base attempts over 104 games. It's unclear if he will have the same burst and athleticism when he returns to action. If he maxes out, he could be an everyday shortstop that hits 15-20 home runs and steals 15-20 bases while making enough contact to hit around .270.

Noah Zavolas - Out - Undisclosed

8/15 1:02 PM EST - Zavolas was placed on the injured list for High-A Carolina retroactive to Aug. 14. It's not clear what landed Zavolas on the injured list, but he has not pitched in a week, and will miss more time due to his injury. Zavolas is throwing well in his first season in the Milwaukee organization, going 6-5 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 102:23 K:BB in 133 innings over 22 starts.

Tigers Expected Lineup

SP - Matthew Boyd

1. Victor Reyes

2. Jonathan Schoop

3. Miguel Cabrera

4. Jeimer Candelario

5. Willi Castro

6. Jorge Bonifacio

7. Travis Demeritte

8. Austin Romine

9. Isaac Paredes

Brewers Expected Lineup

SP - Corbin Burnes

1. Luis Urias

2. Christian Yelich

3. Jedd Gyorko

4. Ryan Braun

5. Keston Hiura

6. Avisail Garcia

7. Mark Mathias

8. Orlando Arcia

9. Jacob Nottingham

Top Picks / Captaincy Options

1. Christian Yelich – Brewers
2. Jonathan Schoop - Tigers
3. Keston Hiura - Brewers
4. Corbin Burnes - Brewers

Dream11 Team

P – Corbin Burnes

C – Omar Narvaez

IF – Jeimer Candelario

IF – Keston Hiura (VC)

IF – Jonathan Schoop

IF – Jedd Gyorko

OF – Christian Yelich (C)

OF – Victor Reyes

OF – Ryan Braun