Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Cardinals at White Sox

St. Louis Cardinals (2-3) at Chicago White Sox (10-9)

Saturday, August 15th, 1:10 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Adam Wainwright (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs RHP Lucas Giolito (1-1, 4.37 ERA)

Game Preview

The Cardinals have struggled to play on a regular basis due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has affected the team, but they will resume play with a double-header Saturday at Chicago. The White Sox have struggled to find consistency, but they might be on the right track and have a 10-9 record as the season approaches one-third of completion. They remain in the playoff race but must find consistency soon. The pitching matchup will be a duel between one of the most veteran, accomplished arms in the league against one the youngest, most promising arms in the American League, as Adam Wainwright will go up against Lucas Giolito. Wainwright might have a better ERA, but he hasn't pitched since July 25. As for Giolito, he's coming off an impressive performance against the Cleveland Indians (nine strikeouts in seven innings) and owns a 1.89 ERA in last three starts.

Injuries

Chicago White Sox

Aaron Bummer - 10-Day IL - Biceps

8/12 8:53 AM EST - White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Tuesday that Bummer's biceps is "loosening up," but the lefty has yet to begin a throwing program, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. The White Sox have been encouraged with how Bummer has bounced back from the left biceps strain after landing on the 10-day injured list Saturday, but a target date for his return probably won't be established until he's cleared to resume mound work. Before getting shut down with the injury, Bummer had served as Chicago's top setup man, giving up one earned run on four hits and four walks over 7.1 innings while striking out 12 and collecting three holds.

Jake Burger - Out - Achilles

7/14 10:42 AM EST - Burger (Achilles) will play in a local St. Louis league to get game reps in this season, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Burger hasn't gotten any game action in since 2017 due to Achilles issues. With minor-league games cancelled this season, he'll have to turn elsewhere for reps. He hasn't been included in the White Sox's 60-man player pool but will be allowed to play independent ball in order to stay sharp.

Ryan Burr - Out - Elbow

7/14 10:54 AM EST - Burr (elbow) joined the White Sox's player pool Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Burr is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in June of 2019. He should be able to pitch at some point this season, though he's yet to impress at the big-league level, posting a 5.52 ERA in 29.1 innings over parts of two seasons.

Leury Garcia - 10-Day IL - Thumb

8/11 2:04 PM EST - Garcia was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a sprained left thumb. Following his injury on a head-first slide into first base Monday, Garcia underwent X-rays that came back negative. However, he'll spend at least 10 days on the shelf as he recovers. In his absence, Danny Mendick should see increased time at second base. Tim Anderson (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Michael Kopech - Out - Opt Out

7/22 5:55 AM EST - The White Sox placed Kopech (personal) on the restricted list July 10. The transaction was just a procedural move after Kopech confirmed earlier that day that he would opt out of the 2020 season. While at home for the next several months, Kopech will complete his rehab from his September 2018 Tommy John surgery before reporting to spring training at full health in 2021 with an eye on claiming a rotation spot.

Jimmy Lambert - 60-Day IL - Forearm

8/3 3:27 PM EST - Lambert (forearm) will be reevaluated in six weeks, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Lambert was working his way back from Tommy John surgery when he suffered a forearm strain. Given that he won't even be reevaluated for another six weeks, his chances of appearing at any point this season appear quite slim, as there are already just eight weeks left in the regular season.

Reynaldo Lopez - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/14 10:04 AM EST - Lopez (shoulder) threw a pair of simulated innings Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Lopez recorded just two outs this season before landing on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. While it's certainly positive news that he appears to be tracking towards his return, the fact that he's throwing just two innings seemingly indicates he isn't particularly close to being ready to handle a starter's workload. It's possible the White Sox bring him back in a long-relief role or to make a handful of shorter starts before he's ready to approach 100 pitches, however.

Nick Madrigal - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/7 9:49 AM EST - Madrigal hopes to be back on the field in two weeks after landing on the injured list with a separated left shoulder Wednesday, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports. The White Sox originally stated that they hoped Madrigal would be back by the end of the month, but Madrigal's own timeline appears to be a bit more aggressive. Whether that's simply a case of the very common phenomenon of a player being optimistic about his own health or a meaningful change to his prognosis remains to be seen. Danny Mendick has started the last two games at second base in his absence.

Kade Mechals - Out - Elbow

6/11 5:50 PM EST - The White Sox have selected Mechals (elbow) with the 112th overall pick in the 2020 first-year player draft. Mechals wasn't listed among MLB.com's Top 200 players nor Baseball America's Top 500, but the White Sox believe they have found a diamond in the rough. The results were there for Mechals, who posted a 2.19 ERA and 118:42 K:BB across 107 innings at Grand Canyon University. Per James Fegan of The Athletic, Mechals underwent Tommy John surgery in May, so if he signs with the Sox, he may not be ready to debut in the minors until the second half of the 2021 season.

Yoan Moncada - Day-To-Day - Undisclosed

8/12 7:09 AM EST - Moncada (undisclosed) won't start in Wednesday's game against the Tigers. Moncada has been nursing general soreness for about a week, so manager Rick Renteria has elected to give the 25-year-old his second breather of the season with the White Sox and Tigers wrapping up their series with a day game after a night game. Ryan Goins will man third base in Moncada's stead and bat ninth in the Chicago lineup. Moncada should be back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals, assuming that series isn't postponed due to several St. Louis players and staff members having tested positive for COVID-19 within the past two weeks.

A.J. Puckett - Out - Elbow

3/25 2:02 PM EST - Puckett posted March 13 on his personal Instagram account that he underwent Tommy John surgery. Puckett didn't pitch at all in 2018 while trying to rehab from elbow pain but ultimately opted to go under the knife this spring after failing to show significant improvement. The 2016 second-round pick has yet to pitch above the High-A level and will likely turn 25 years old by the time he's ready for competitive action, effectively taking him off the radar as a prospect.

Carlos Rodon - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/12 9:02 AM EST - Manager Rick Renteria said Wednesday that Rodon (shoulder) remains limited to playing catch off flat ground, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. Considering that Rodon has yet to resume mound work more than a week into his recovery from the left shoulder soreness he experienced in his Aug. 3 start against the Brewers, he likely won't be ready to return from the 10-day injured list until late August at the earliest. The White Sox's schedule has allowed the team to get by with a four-man rotation since Rodon was shut down, but Chicago will require a replacement for the southpaw Aug. 18 against the Tigers.

Hunter Schryver - Out - Elbow

2/20 11:04 AM EST - Schryver (elbow) underwent successful Tommy John surgery Thursday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. The southpaw is expected to make a full recovery in 12-to-18 months, keeping him out of commission for the entire 2020 season and likely a good portion of 2021 as well. Schryver split the 2019 campaign between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Binghamton, turning in a 4.04 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 41 relief appearances between the two stops.

St. Louis Cardinals

John Brebbia - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/28 12:23 PM EST - Brebbia (elbow) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. It was announced this week that he 30-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early June, so his removal from the 40-man roster was only a matter of time. Brebbia will miss all of the 60 games in 2020 but could return during midseason 2021 if all goes well in his recovery.

Austin Dean - Out - Illness

8/7 5:55 PM EST - Dean has tested positive for COVID-19, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Dean was announced Friday as one of the Cardinals who tested positive for COVID-19 amid the team's outbreak. He's reportedly asymptomatic but will have to produce two negative tests before he's allowed to rejoin the team. The 26-year-old hadn't appeared in any of the team's first five games of the 2020 campaign.

Paul DeJong - Covid-19 - Illness

8/14 2:31 PM EST - DeJong (illness) will not be rejoining the team during its upcoming eight-game resumption of play in Chicago versus the White Sox and Cubs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. DeJong was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Aug. 4, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak seemed to imply Thursday that the slugging shortstop won't be cleared from that designation any earlier than Thursday, the day after the barrage of upcoming contests for St. Louis. DeJong will naturally need to clear all testing protocols and also get in several workouts before being considered ready for game action. Tommy Edman and Max Schrock are expected to handle the bulk of shortstop duties while DeJong remains on the shelf, although veteran Brad Miller is a candidate to fill in as well.

Junior Fernandez - Covid-19 - Illness

8/4 2:15 PM EST - Fernandez (illness) was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Fernandez gave the Cardinals permission to announce his positive test amid the team's COVID-19 outbreak, and a spot on the active roster will be made available after he was placed on the injured list. The right-hander will be eligible to return to the team once he produces two consecutive negative tests. Both Fernandez and fellow right-handed reliever Kodi Whitley tested positive, so the team should be calling up some replacements in the coming days.

Austin Gomber - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

8/13 5:58 PM EST - Gomber was placed on the COVID-19 injured list after contract tracing identified him as being at risk for possibly having the virus, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Gomber has not registered a positive test but the Cardinals will play it safe and keep the pitcher away from the team as they hope to resume their season against the White Sox on Saturday. With St. Louis working through a COVID-19 outbreak, Gomber joins a crowded group of Cardinals that are on the injured list.

Ryan Helsley - Out - Illness

8/7 5:50 PM EST - Helsley has tested positive for COVID-19, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. The Cardinals had two players and one staff member test positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and Thursday, and Helsley was revealed as one of those players Friday. He's reportedly experiencing a low-grade fever as he deals with the virus. The team's weekend series against the Cubs was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak among team members, but Giovanny Gallegos could see save chances once the Cardinals return to play. Helsley will be eligible to return to the team once he produces two negative tests.

Jordan Hicks - Out - Opt Out

7/20 6:35 AM EST - The Cardinals placed Hicks (elbow) on the restricted list last week after he informed the team that he was opting out of the 2020 season. The transaction removes Hicks from the Cardinals' 40-man roster, giving the team some more flexibility before it begins its season July 24. Per Mark Saxon of The Athletic, Hicks' choice to skip out on the 2020 season wasn't totally motivated by concerns about the health risks he may have faced pitching amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a Type 1 diabetic. Instead, the 23-year-old disclosed that he recently dealt with inflammation during his throwing program as he worked back from his June 2019 Tommy John procedure. The extra time off to rest should allow Hicks to report at full health for 2021 spring training, at which point he could re-emerge as the Cardinals' top closing candidate.

Carlos Martinez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/4 2:09 PM EST - Martinez was placed on the 10-day injured list for an undisclosed reason Tuesday. The Cardinals gave no reasoning for placing Martinez on the injured list, but the transaction comes as the team deals with a COVID-19 outbreak among several players and staff members. It's unclear how much time the right-hander will miss, and a replacement for his spot in the rotation hasn't been named. John Gant, Austin Gomber and Jake Woodford have past experience as starters and could be candidates to take Martinez's place.

Miles Mikolas - 60-Day IL - Forearm

8/11 3:11 PM EST - Mikolas (forearm) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The move won't have any effect on Mikolas' return timeline, as he's already been ruled out for the year due to surgery on his right flexor tendon. The move creates a spot on the 40-man roster for the Cardinals to add a player once their season eventually resumes following their COVID-19 outbreak.

Yadier Molina - Covid-19 - Illness

8/14 2:27 PM EST - Molina (illness) will not be rejoining the team during its upcoming eight-game resumption of play in Chicago versus the White Sox and Cubs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The veteran catcher was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Aug. 4, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak seemed to imply Thursday that Molina won't be cleared from that designation any earlier than Thursday, the day after the barrage of upcoming contests for St. Louis. Molina will need to clear all testing protocols and also get in several workouts before being considered ready for game action. Matt Wieters and Andrew Knizner are expected to handle the catching duties while Molina remains on the shelf.

Andrew Morales - Out - Shoulder

2/25 8:23 AM EST - Morales (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Morales was diagnosed with right shoulder discomfort following his spring debut Sunday versus the Nationals, during which he was touched up for three runs on three hits while recording only one out. The extent of Morales' injury isn't fully known, but the fact that he needs an MRI suggests his setback could be more than a day-to-day concern.

Rangel Ravelo - Covid-19 - Illness

8/5 12:46 PM EST - Ravelo (illness) was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday. Ravelo was one of the players that gave the Cardinals permission to release the news of his positive diagnosis for COVID-19 amid the team's outbreak, and his placement on the injured list will free up a spot on the active roster. The 28-year-old will be eligible to return to the team once he produces two consecutive negative tests. The Cardinals purchased Max Schrock's contract in a corresponding move to fill Ravelo's depth role on the roster.

Edmundo Sosa - Covid-19 - Illness

8/4 3:03 PM EST - Sosa landed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Sosa is one of a number of Cardinals who tested positive for the virus in recent days. He'll remain sidelined until he's symptom-free and tests negative twice.

Lane Thomas - Out - Illness

8/9 5:52 PM EST - Thomas has tested positive for COVID-19, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The Cardinals continue to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak within their organization, and Thomas' positive test brings the team's total to 10 players and seven staffers. The team's upcoming series against the Pirates has been postponed, and the 24-year-old won't be allowed to rejoin the team until he produces two negative COVID-19 tests.

Kodi Whitley - Covid-19 - Illness

8/4 2:02 PM EST - Whitley (illness) was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Whitley tested positive for COVID-19, and Tuesday's transaction will free up a spot on the active roster in his absence. Under MLB protocol, the right-hander will be eligible to return to the team once he produces two consecutive negative tests. The Cardinals should call up some bullpen reinforcements in the coming days to replace Whitley and fellow righty Junior Fernandez.

White Sox Expected Lineup

SP - Lucas Giolito

1. Tim Anderson

2. Yoan Moncada

3. Jose Abreu

4. Yasmani Grandal

5. Edwin Encarnacion

6. Eloy Jimenez

7. Luis Robert

8. Nomar Mazara

9. Danny Mendick

Cardinals Expected Lineup

SP - Adam Wainwright

1. Kolten Wong

2. Tommy Edman

3. Paul Goldschmidt

4. Matt Carpenter

5. Matt Wieters

6. Dexter Fowler

7. Brad Miller

8. Tyler O'Neill

9. Harrison Bader

Top Picks From Each Team

Eloy Jimenez, White Sox: Jimenez is currently riding a three-game hitting streak and, as of right now, he is one of the top hitters in the White Sox roster. The slugging outfielder is on a roll and, despite the fact he's only hitting .246 this season, he has racked up five home runs with 13 RBI and seven runs scored.

Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals: It's hard to analyze the Cardinals due to the fact they've only played five games, but Goldschmidt is a solid bet for captaincy since he owns a solid track record and started the season on a strong note. He is hitting .6-for-19 with a .381 on-base percentage while going yard once.

Captaincy Options

1. Eloy Jimenez
2. Paul Goldschmidt
3. Jose Abreu
4. Lucas Giolito

Dream11 Team

P – Lucas Giolito (VC)

C – Yasmani Grandal

IF – Brad Miller

IF – Paul Goldschmidt

IF – Jose Abreu

IF – Tim Anderson

OF – Eloy Jimenez (C)

OF – Luis Robert

OF – Harrison Bader