Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Diamondbacks at Dodgers

Arizona Diamondbacks (14-23) at Los Angeles Dodgers (28-10)

Thursday, September 3rd, 9:40 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Luke Weaver (1-5, 8.23 ERA) vs LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 1.80 ERA)

Game Preview

The Dodgers and the Diamondbacks are going through opposite paths ahead of this matchup, as Los Angeles sits at the top of the National League standings and have all the tools to be a contending team come playoff time, while the Diamondbacks are dead last in a season where things just hasn't gone according to plan for them. The pitching matchup should also favor the Dodgers considerably, as Los Angeles will send Clayton Kershaw to the mound while the Diamondbacks will counter with Luke Weaver, who has an 8.23 ERA. The biggest story in his pitching duel, however, is Kershaw – the star lefty is pitching like an ace this season and is putting up elite numbers across the board, headlined by a 1.80 ERA.

Injuries

Arizona Diamondbacks

Jeremy Beasley - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

9/1 1:54 PM EST - The Diamondbacks transferred Beasley (shoulder) to the 45-day injured list Monday. Arizona also moved Merrill Kelly (shoulder) to the 45-day IL, effectively spelling an end to both pitchers' seasons. Beasley made one relief appearance out of the Diamondbacks' bullpen before being shut down with a strained right shoulder.

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.

Madison Bumgarner - 10-Day IL - Back

9/2 4:56 PM EST - Bumgarner (back) will be activated off the 10-day injured list to start Saturday at San Francisco, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. The veteran southpaw will return to the mound Saturday for the first time in nearly a month due to the back issue, and he'll do it with his first start against his former team. Bumgarner had a 9.35 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 17.1 innings before landing on the shelf. The 31-year-old topped 70 pitches in one of his simulated games, and he could still face some workload limitations in his first start back.

Jon Duplantier - Out - Elbow

8/29 2:31 AM EST - Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Duplantier (elbow) is not expected to join the team in 2020, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Duplantier has been dealing with elbow discomfort since April. The GM said the time needed for Duplantier and fellow injured pitcher Corbin Martin (elbow) to ramp up for an appearance would make pitching in 2020 unlikely.

Merrill Kelly - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

9/1 1:58 PM EST - The Diamondbacks shifted Kelly (shoulder) to the 45-day injured list Monday. The transaction confirms that Kelly will miss the remainder of the season after doctors determined that a blood clot had caused a nerve impingement in his right shoulder. Kelly underwent a procedure to address the blood clot and is expected to be back to full strength for spring training. Considering how well Kelly pitched prior to getting shut down (2.59 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 29 strikeouts over 31.1 innings), the Diamondbacks will most likely exercise his affordable $5.25 million club option for 2021 over the winter.

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

8/29 2:28 AM EST - Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Martin (elbow) isn't expected to join the team in 2020, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Martin, who is working his way back from last July's Tommy John surgery, suffered an oblique strain earlier this month. The GM said the time needed for Martin and fellow injured pitcher Jon Duplantier (elbow) to ramp up for an appearance make pitching in 2020 unlikely.

Caleb Smith - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

8/31 12:08 PM EST - Smith (COVID-19) was traded from the Marlins to the Diamondbacks on Monday along with Humberto Mejia and a player to be named later, with Starling Marte going the other way, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports. Smith made just a single start this season before being caught up in the Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak. He's been cleared to throw since mid-August, however, and appears to be quite close to being ready to return. The lefty produced a passable 4.41 ERA over the previous two seasons, with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate generally being offset by a 9.6 percent walk rate and a 26.9 percent groundball rate.

Taylor Widener - 10-Day IL - Ribs

9/1 2:03 PM EST - Widener was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a strained right rib cage. After Robbie Ray was traded to the Blue Jays on Monday and Merrill Kelly (shoulder) underwent a season-ending procedure last week, Widener looked like he might be a candidate to make some starts for Arizona in September. The injury likely takes any opportunity Widener had to join the rotation off the table. Even if the strained rib cage sidelines him for the minimum amount of time, Widener probably wouldn't have sufficient time to build up to a starter's workload with the regular season coming to an end Sept. 27.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Yadier Alvarez - Out - Shoulder

3/2 2:33 PM EST - Alvarez (shoulder) cleared waivers Monday and was outrighted to minor-league camp, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Alvarez was scratched from his scheduled start Friday against the Brewers after being unable to get loose. He's been sent for tests on his shoulder, the results of which aren't yet known. The shoulder scare was evidently enough to dissuade teams from taking a chance on him in waivers.

Pedro Baez - 10-Day IL - Groin

9/2 5:48 PM EST - Baez (groin) will throw a bullpen session Thursday and could face live batters this weekend, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. The 32-year-old completed a 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, so he appears to be progressing quickly toward his return from the right groin strain. Baez may return from the injured list next week if all goes well in his next couple throwing sessions.

Cody Bellinger - Day-To-Day - Lat

9/2 3:08 PM EST - Bellinger (lat) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. Bellinger had the injury surface in the batting cage Tuesday, and it's not a major surprise he's sitting a second consecutive game. The 25-year-old was able to take swings in the cage Wednesday with no issues, so he may be able to retake the field for Thursday's series finale.

Joe Kelly - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

9/2 5:53 PM EST - Kelly (shoulder) threw a successful bullpen session Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. The 32-year-old has been sidelined since Aug. 10 with right shoulder inflammation, but he appears to be nearing his return. Manager Dave Roberts said Kelly could be return from the injured list late next week, but he'll still need to serve a five-game suspension once activated.

Jimmy Nelson - 60-Day IL - Back

7/21 10:31 AM EST - Nelson (back) landed on the 45-day injured list Tuesday, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports. The righty is set to undergo lumbar surgery, a procedure which will wipe out his 2020 season entirely. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the Dodgers to add Jake McGee, who signed a major-league deal.

David Price - Out - Opt Out

7/4 1:48 PM EST - Price has elected not to play this season, he announced on his personal Twitter page Saturday. Price cited his health and his family's health as his reasons for sitting out the season during the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the highest-profile player thus far to opt out. He now won't be suiting up for his new team until the start of the 2021 season. His absence creates a hole in the Dodgers' rotation, with Dustin May looking like the most likely beneficiary.

Zach Reks - Out - Undisclosed

8/12 9:10 AM EST - Reks (undisclosed) has not yet joined the team at its alternate training site, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. Reks has been away from the team since July 8, though the Dodgers have yet to give a reason for the outfielder's absence. The 26-year-old was included on the 60-man roster after a strong spring in which he hit .368/.556/.684 and drew eight walks.

Cody Thomas - Out - Undisclosed

8/12 9:15 AM EST - Thomas (undisclosed) still isn't with the Dodgers at their alternate training site, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. Thomas was included in the team's 60-man player pool after smashing five home runs during spring training, However, the outfielder missed most of summer camp, and the team has thus far withheld the reason for his absence.

Andrew Toles - Out - Personal

6/26 11:43 PM EST - Toles was arrested in Florida on Monday on a misdemeanor trespassing charge after he was found sleeping behind Key West International Airport and refused to leave, Gwen Filosa of the Miami Herald reports. In terms of baseball news, this incident furthers the belief that Toles is unlikely to return to the sport during the 2020 season. However, Toles' need for help clearly extends beyond baseball, and any hope of seeing him in a Dodgers uniform again should be superseded by the hope that he simply gets well. The 28-year-old has a documented history of dealing with anxiety and depression, and he essentially disappeared from baseball after leaving spring training last May to deal with a personal matter.

Justin Turner - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

9/1 4:36 PM EST - Turner was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left hamstring strain, retroactive to Aug. 29. Turner underwent a pre-game workout Tuesday to determine whether a trip to the injured list would be necessary, and he apparently needs more than a couple days before returning to full health. The 35-year-old doesn't have an official timeline for his return, but he'll be eligible to be activated Sept. 8. Edwin Rios (hamstring) was activated off the injured list in a corresponding move and will start at third base, though Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Max Muncy could all see time there during Turner's absence.

Edwin Uceta - Suspension - Not Injury Related

8/22 11:16 AM EST - Uceta broke security protocol and was suspended by the Dodgers, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. Uceta had been working at the Dodgers' alternate training site, but he was recently sent home to the Dominican Republic and suspended by the team. Given travel restrictions amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it's unclear whether the right-hander will return to the team at any point in 2020. If he does, he's likely to remain with the alternate squad.

Dodgers Expected Lineup

SP - Clayton Kershaw

1. Mookie Betts

2. Max Muncy

3. Cody Bellinger

4. A.J. Pollock

5. Corey Seager

6. Chris Taylor

7. Enrique Hernandez

8. Gavin Lux

9. Will Smith

Diamondbacks Expected Lineup

SP – Luke Weaver

1. Kole Calhoun

2. Ketel Marte

3. David Peralta

4. Christian Walker

5. Eduardo Escobar

6. Nick Ahmed

7. Stephen Vogt

8. Daulton Varsho

9. Jon Jay

Top Picks From Each Team

Mookie Betts, Dodgers: Betts has been a key piece in one of the top offenses in the National League, as the star outfielder is currently hitting .302 with a team-best 1.003 OPS, 12 homers and 27 RBI. Pacing one of the best offenses in the league in most categories should be enough to consider Betts as a strong captaincy alternative in this matchup.

Christian Walker, Diamondbacks: Walker should be one of Arizona's most reliable offensive threats, and he has been seeing the ball well of late. Over the last eight contests, the first baseman is 9-for-30 (.300) with four homers and 12 RBI.

Captaincy Options

1. Mookie Betts
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Christian Walker
4. Max Muncy

Dream11 Team

P – Clayton Kershaw (VC)

C – Will Smith

IF – Max Muncy

IF – Ketel Marte

IF – Christian Walker

IF – Kevin Cron

IF – Enrique Hernandez

OF – Mookie Betts (C)

OF – Cody Bellinger