Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Giants at Astros

San Francisco Giants (7-11) at Houston Astros (7-9)

Tuesday, August 11th, 9:10 PM EDT

Projected Starters

LHP Tyler Anderson (0-1, 2.19 ERA) vs RHP Brandon Bielak (2-0, 0.87 ERA)

Game Preview

The Astros have not performed as expected during the 2020 MLB season and right now sit two games under .500 after their first 16 games. That wouldn't be anything to be scared about in a normal season, but it could be cause for concern in a 60-game season such as this year's one. The Giants, on the other hand, are 7-11 but they were never expecting to make the playoffs, so they're embarking in their rebuilding process while seeing some young players thrive and grow ahead of the franchise's next window of contention, which should be in a few more years. The pitching matchup for this game features two young arms that have been performing better than expected. The Astros will send Brandon Bielak, who tossed five scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first career start, while the Giants will counter with lefty Tyler Anderson, who will make his third start of the season while coming off a five-inning shutout at Colorado the last time out.

Injuries

Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/9 1:46 PM EST - Manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Alvarez (undisclosed) is "making progress," but the skipper was unwilling to put a timeline on the 23-year-old's return to the Astros, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "He hasn't been hitting that long. He hasn't been running that long," Baker said. "You don't want to do anything to hurt his legs, you don't want to do anything to hurt his obliques because you're not used to rotating. I really don't know how long it's going to be or how long it's going to take." After missing all of summer camp for undisclosed reasons, Alvarez has been working out at the Astros' alternate training site in Corpus Christi for about two weeks as he looks to get reacclimated to baseball activities following a lengthy layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The slugger looked like his normal self during an intrasquad game Saturday, hitting a pair of doubles against minor-league pitcher Luis Garcia. Though Alvarez seems to be rounding into form, the Astros' slow approach to his ramp-up program makes it unlikely he'll be activated from the injured list ahead of Monday's series opener against the Giants. With no target date for Alvarez's 2020 debut, his fantasy managers will likely have to err on the side of caution and keep him on their bench for another week.

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.

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

8/9 6:10 PM EST - Diaz (groin) participated in a batting session and executed agility work Sunday at the Astros' alternate training facility in Corpus Christi, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. There hasn't been much news about Diaz after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained groin the second day of the season. He's one of a few roster regulars the Astros are missing. Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed) and George Springer (wrist) are also working back from injury.

Kent Emanuel - Out - Suspension

8/6 3:24 PM EST - Emanuel (elbow) was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. The suspension will keep Emanuel sidelined for the remainder of the abbreviated 2020 season and into the 2021 campaign. The lefty has yet to appear in a big-league game; he posted a 3.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 81:23 K:BB across 101.2 innings with Triple-A round Rock in 2019.

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 - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/9 5:46 PM EST - Osuna (elbow) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Sunday. The move is simply procedural as Osuna likely requires Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow issue that surfaced at the beginning of August. Left-hander Brooks Raley was acquired from the Reds in a corresponding move. Ryan Pressly should continue to serve as the Astros' closer for the foreseeable future.

Brad Peacock - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/9 1:52 PM EST - Peacock (shoulder) has resumed throwing bullpen sessions at the Astros' alternate training site in Corpus Christi, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Peacock has been sidelined for nearly a month with the right shoulder injury. The Astros had been planning for a healthy Peacock to fill a key multi-inning role out of the bullpen, and his eventual return will loom larger than Houston anticipated with the team's relief corps having been ravaged by injuries early on this season. Over his 95 career relief appearances, Peacock owns a 3.81 ERA and 19.6 K-BB%.

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 - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/7 6:58 AM EST - Pruitt (elbow) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. The 30-year-old landed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation at the start of the season and was shut down from throwing shortly thereafter. It remains unclear where Pruitt stands in his recovery, but he won't be seeing game action until at least September.

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.

George Springer - Day-To-Day - Wrist

8/10 3:43 PM EST - Springer (hand) took batting practice prior to Monday's game against the Giants, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Springer saw a hand specialist Monday that confirmed nothing is broken. While he'll remain sidelined for the fourth consecutive contest in the series opener against San Francisco, he's been able to take swings on each of the past two days.

Jose Urquidy - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/6 1:34 PM EST - Urquidy (undisclosed) threw off a mound Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Urquidy is still building up his arm after missing the entirety of summer camp for undisclosed reasons. While this is a step in the right direction for the right-hander, manager Dusty Baker noted his return is not imminent. "The cavalry's a ways off," said the skipper, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Justin Verlander - 10-Day IL - Forearm

8/10 2:58 PM EST - General manager James Click said Monday that Verlander (forearm) still hasn't resumed throwing, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Verlander isn't progressing as quickly as he'd like to while he deals with a forearm strain, and the team is still waiting on the inflammation in his forearm to subside before it builds him back up. While the 37-year-old expressed optimism about his status when the injury first surfaced, whether he'll be ready to take the mound at some point in 2020 remains to be seen.

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 dealt with injuries since 2018.

San Francisco Giants

Tyler Beede - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/29 12:51 PM EST - The Giants placed Beede (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. The transaction is merely procedural, as Beede has already been ruled out for the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. His move to the 60-day IL opens up an extra spot on the 40-man roster for the Giants.

Sam Coonrod - 10-Day IL - Lat

8/4 1:41 PM EST - Coonrod (lat) remains in physical therapy and is set to be re-evaluated at the end of the week, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Coonrod landed on the 10-day injured list Friday but still hasn't resumed throwing. The team hopes that he'll be able to begin a throwing program over the weekend if his evaluation at the end of the week goes well. It's still unclear when the right-hander could return to action. Coonrod tossed 3.2 innings over four appearances to begin the season, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two.

Aramis Garcia - 60-Day IL - Hip

6/22 9:36 PM EST - Garcia (hip) could be ready to return by mid-to-late August, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Garcia underwent hip surgery in February that carried a 6-to-8 month recovery timeline, and he appears to be on track in his recovery. The 27-year-old could be available for a good portion of the Giants' games once play resumes, although it's unclear how much playing time he could get with Buster Posey and Tyler Heineman in the fold. Garcia appeared in just 18 major-league games last season, hitting .143/.217/.310 with five RBI and 21 strikeouts.

Jordan Humphreys - Out - Personal

8/9 11:52 AM EST - Humphreys was placed on the restricted list Sunday. The 24-year-old was acquired from the Mets in exchange for Billy Hamilton last weekend, but he'll move to the restricted list before appearing for the team. It's unclear when Humphreys is expected to return to action.

Reyes Moronta - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

8/7 11:32 AM EST - Moronta (shoulder) reported to the Giants' alternate training site Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. The 27-year-old will continue his rehab at the alternate training site as he returns from surgery to address a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Moronta previously indicated he could be back by late August, as he returned to throwing off a mound in June.

Buster Posey - Out - Opt Out

7/23 2:01 PM EST - The Giants placed Posey on the restricted list July 10. The transaction is just a procedural one after Posey announced that same day that he would sit out the 2020 season, citing concerns about how playing amid a pandemic could jeopardize the health of his newborn twins. The Giants are carrying two catchers (Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly) on the Opening Day roster, but it's unclear if either of the two will act as the clear-cut No. 1 option behind the plate.

Jeff Samardzija - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/9 12:01 PM EST - Samardzija (shoulder) was diagnosed with right rotator cuff inflammation after undergoing an MRI on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. The 35-year-old was placed on the injured list Saturday and was struggling to begin the season with a 9.88 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 13.2 innings (three starts). Samardzija won't throw for at least seven days and seems unlikely to be activated when eligible Aug. 18. Trevor Cahill and Andrew Suarez are potential candidates to fill his spot in the rotation.

Drew Smyly - 10-Day IL - Finger

8/4 1:18 PM EST - Smyly (finger) won't throw for 7-to-10 days as he continues physical therapy, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Smyly was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a strained left finger, and Tuesday's update indicates that he won't return after the minimum amount of time. The southpaw will be re-evaluated once the team returns to San Francisco late next week, after which a better timetable for his return could be established. Smyly made three appearances (two starts) to begin the season, allowing three runs on seven hits with an 11:4 K:BB over 8.1 innings. Tyler Anderson, Conner Menez and Trevor Cahill (finger) are candidates to fill Smyly's role in the rotation while he's sidelined.

Astros Expected Lineup

SP - Brandon Bielak

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

Giants Expected Lineup

SP - Tyler Anderson

1. Mike Yastrzemski

2. Alex Dickerson

3. Brandon Belt

4. Evan Longoria

5. Donovan Solano

6. Pablo Sandoval

7. Brandon Crawford

8. Austin Slater

9. Tyler Heineman

Top Picks From Each Team

George Springer, Astros: Springer might be dealing with a sore wrist, but he is still a good captaincy option as the team's leadoff hitter. Prior to dealing with this ailment, Springer was slashing .304/.419/.609 with two homers and 11 RBI in his last 23 at-bats.

Donovan Solano, Giants: Solano has been one of the most consistent hitters in the MLB this season and, in fact, he has hit safely in each of the Giants' last 15 games. He owns a spectacular .466/.484/.672 slash line with a 1.156 OPS, one home run and 15 RBI during that sizzling stretch.

Captaincy Options

1. George Springer
2. Donovan Solano
3. Carlos Correa
4. Michael Brantley

Dream11 Team

P – Brandon Bielak

C – Martin Maldonado

IF – Donovan Solano (VC)

IF – Mauricio Dubon

IF – Carlos Correa

OF – George Springer (C)

OF – Mike Yastrzemski

OF – Kyle Tucker

OF – Michael Brantley