Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Phillies at Mets

Philadelphia Phillies (19-17) at New York Mets (19-22)

Monday, September 7th, 1:10 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Zack Wheeler (4-0, 2.20 ERA) vs LHP David Peterson (4-1, 3.03 ERA)

Game Preview

The Phillies have bounced back from a slow start to the season and are ready to make a run at a postseason berth in a surprisingly competitive NL East, but the Mets can't be taken for granted and will look to build off their impressive 14-1 win over Philadelphia on Sunday. The Phillies are in a better position in the standings but the Mets are on the rise and currently sit just three games below the .500 threshold. The pitching matchup for this game will feature two quality arms – the righty Zack Wheeler will start for the Phillies and lefty David Peterson will do it for the Mets. Wheeler is coming off an absolute gem and owns stronger numbers across the board so he could be a good pick. However, it remains to be seen how he'll approach a Mets lineup that is getting hotter at the right time.

Injuries

New York Mets

Dellin Betances - 10-Day IL - Lat

8/30 8:28 AM EST - Betances was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with right lat tightness, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports. The 32-year-old took his first loss of the season Saturday after allowing one run on one hit while recording one out against the Yankees, and he'll now make his way to the injured list. Betances will be eligible to be activated Sept. 9, but it's unclear how long he's expected to be sidelined.

Yoenis Cespedes - Out - Opt Out

8/4 11:18 AM EST - The Mets placed Cespedes on the restricted list Sunday after he informed the team he was opting out of the 2020 season. The transaction opened up spots on the Mets' 30-man active roster, 40-man roster and 60-man roster pool. Before opting out, Cespedes appeared in eight games for the Mets and went 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI.

J.T. Ginn - Out - Elbow

6/11 2:52 PM EST - The Mets have selected Ginn (elbow) with the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 first-year player draft. The Dodgers were unable to meet Ginn's asking price when they selected him out of high school with the 30th overall pick in 2018, so he enrolled at Mississippi State. He logged a 3.13 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 105:19 K:BB in 86.1 innings as a freshman and was on track to go in the middle of the first round this year as a draft-eligible sophomore before needing Tommy John surgery in March. When healthy, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound righty works with a mid-90s sinking fastball and a wipeout slider, which is his best pitch. The biggest change for Ginn since his prep days is that his changeup is now a legitimate third pitch, projecting as at least an average offering with a chance to get to plus. He is athletic and projects for at least average command. While he has plus velocity, his fastball is geared more toward inducing weak contact than whiffs in the zone. However, he should still be able to hover around a strikeout per inning via his slider and improving changeup. Ginn should be ready to return to game action in the first half of the 2021 season.

Franklyn Kilome - 10-Day IL - Finger

9/6 9:58 AM EST - Kilome was placed on the injured list with a split fingernail, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. It was announced Wednesday that the team had optioned Kilome to the alternate site. However, he suffered the injury while with the major-league team, meaning he remains with the big-league club for the time being. Kilome has registered a 7.20 ERA with a 1.70 WHIP and an 11:6 K:BB across 10 innings this season.

Jed Lowrie - 60-Day IL - Knee

8/12 1:03 PM EST - Lowrie will receive a series of platelet-rich plasma injections on his sore left knee, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Lowrie remains on the injured list, where he's spent the vast majority of his time since signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Mets in January 2019. He appeared in just nine games last year and doesn't appear to be close to making his season debut, as he's on the 45-day injured list. However, he could potentially return late in the year if the injections serve their intended purpose.

Steven Matz - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/30 8:45 AM EST - Matz (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports. The 29-year-old exited Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader with left shoulder discomfort and will require at least 10 days to recover. It's unclear if Matz is expected to be healthy when eligible to be activated Sept. 9.

Tomas Nido - Covid-19 - Undisclosed

9/5 3:57 PM EST - Nido (undisclosed) has been cleared to resume baseball activities and returned to the Mets' player pool Saturday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports. Nido landed on the injured list in late August for undisclosed reasons, though it appears to be COVID-19 related. He should be ready to go before too long, though Robinson Chirinos has since joined the team, which could mean Nido is no longer needed.

Eduardo Nunez - 60-Day IL - Knee

9/1 2:35 PM EST - The Mets transferred Nunez (knee) to the 45-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Nunez hasn't played since July 26 due to a sprained left knee, so his move to the 45-day injured list won't necessarily close the door on him returning to action this season. That said, manager Luis Rojas said Nunez remains without a timeline to return, suggesting that the infielder is still in the week-to-week stage of his recovery rather than day-to-day. If Nunez makes it back from the IL before the season ends, he'll likely be limited to a utility role.

Corey Oswalt - 10-Day IL - Biceps

8/28 10:16 AM EST - Oswalt was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with right bicep tendinitis, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports. He had a 5.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 10 strikeouts in 12.1 innings this season across three appearances. Oswalt is without a timetable to return.

Rene Rivera - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/17 2:35 PM EST - Rivera will undergo surgery Wednesday to remove a bone spur from his left elbow, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Rivera was transferred to the 45-day injured list Monday, and he should miss the rest of the season since the procedure usually carries a 6-to-8 week recovery timetable. The 37-year-old appeared in just two major-league games this season, going 1-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Marcus Stroman - Out - Opt Out

8/10 12:06 PM EST - Stroman (calf) elected to opt out of the season Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Stroman had been working his way back from a strained calf, but he evidently changed his plans and won't be returning until next season. He called his opt out a "collective family decision," per Tim Healey of Newsday, related purely to the COVID-19 pandemic. His calf is reportedly fully healthy, but he'll still enter free agency having spent an entire year without pitching in a game, which could certainly suppress his value on the open market. The Mets will place Stroman on the restricted list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Noah Syndergaard - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/28 10:00 AM EST - Syndergaard (elbow) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports. Thor underwent Tommy John surgery in late March, but until now he remained on the 40-man roster given the shutdown and transaction freeze. Syndergaard will clearly miss the 2020 season, and he'll likely be unavailable for the start of next season as well. Offseason signees Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha are set to round out the starting rotation for the Mets.

Philadelphia Phillies

Jose Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Groin

8/25 12:19 PM EST - Alvarez (testicular contusion) could be done for the season, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He will not be able to throw for two weeks and will then need an additional two weeks to build back up before returning, so he will be up against it with just over four weeks remaining in the regular season.

Jay Bruce - 10-Day IL - Quadriceps

9/6 10:14 AM EST - Bruce was placed on the injured list with a quadriceps injury Sunday. Bruce exited Saturday's contest after aggravating his quad injury and finds himself back on the injured list. With Roman Quinn also sidelined (concussion), Kyle Garlick and Phil Gosselin could get some extra run in the outfield.

Seranthony Dominguez - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/30 11:07 AM EST - Dominquez (elbow) 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.

Scott Kingery - 10-Day IL - Back

8/31 1:35 PM EST - Kingery was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with back spasms. It has been a brutal season for Kingery, who is hitting .127 with one home run, zero steals and an 18:4 K:BB in 71 at-bats. He will be eligible to return Sept. 10. Jay Bruce was reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Adam Morgan - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

9/1 3:39 PM EST - Morgan was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue, retroactive to Aug. 31, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports. Morgan has been relatively effective recently as he allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven over five innings during his last six appearances. However, he'll be sidelined at least 10 days while he deals with a shoulder issue. Right-hander David Phelps was added to the active roster in a corresponding move.

Roman Quinn - 7-Day IL - Concussion

9/6 10:17 AM EST - Quinn was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list Sunday. Quinn exited Saturday's contest and went through concussion protocol. He's now officially placed on the injured list, and with Jay Bruce (quadriceps) also out, the team is getting thin in the outfield. Kyle Garlick was called up from the alternate site Sunday and could get some playing time in Quinn's absence.

David Robertson - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/29 2:12 PM EST - Robertson (elbow) won't throw for another six weeks and will miss the remainder of the 2020 season, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Robertson recently faced a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery that forced him to be shut down. It's unclear if he'll be ready for spring training in 2021.

Mets Expected Lineup

SP - David Peterson

1. Brandon Nimmo

2. Michael Conforto

3. J.D. Davis

4. Dominic Smith

5. Robinson Cano

6. Pete Alonso

7. Jeff McNeil

8. Wilson Ramos

9. Amed Rosario

Phillies Expected Lineup

SP - Zack Wheeler

1. Andrew McCutchen

2. J.T. Realmuto

3. Bryce Harper

4. Rhys Hoskins

5. Didi Gregorius

6. Alec Bohm

7. Jean Segura

8. Phil Gosselin

9. Adam Haseley

Top Picks / Captaincy Options

1. Bryce Harper – Phillies
2. Pete Alonso – Mets
3. Didi Gregorius – Phillies
4. Michael Conforto - Mets

Dream11 Team

P – Zack Wheeler

C – J.T. Realmuto

IF – Didi Gregorius

IF – Phil Gosselin

IF – Pete Alonso (VC)

OF – Andrew McCutchen

OF – Bryce Harper (C)

OF – Brandon Nimmo

OF – Michael Conforto