Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Astros at Padres

Houston Astros (15-10) at San Diego Padres (15-12)

Friday, August 21st, 9:10 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2-1, 5.47 ERA) vs RHP Garrett Richards (1-1, 3.45 ERA)

Game Preview

The Astros got off to a slow start to the season and many believed they would struggle to contend for a playoff berth in this shortened campaign, but such hasn't been the case and Houston has turned things around – they're now five games over .500 thanks to an eight-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Padres have been playing excellent this season and have the looks of a contender in the National League, something that's backed up by their 15-12 record and their recent displays of power. The Padres are on a four-game winning streak as well, so both teams should be full of confidence ahead of this matchup. The pitching duel will feature two experienced righties, with Garrett Richards (3.45 ERA) taking the ball for San Diego and Lance McCullers (5.47 ERA) getting the nod for Houston. Given the way both offenses have been playing of late, however, this game could easily end up being a slugfest rather than a pitching duel.

Injuries

Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Knee

8/19 2:41 PM EST - Alvarez will have surgery to repair a partial tear of the patella tendon in his right knee and will miss the remainder of the season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Manager Dusty Baker hinted earlier Wednesday that Alvarez could be out for the year, but he confirmed prior to Wednesday's game that he'd have surgery. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for spring training in 2021. Abraham Toro could see an uptick in playing time with Alvarez sidelined.

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.

Michael Brantley - 10-Day IL - Quadriceps

8/19 1:38 PM EST - Brantley (quadriceps) traveled with the Astros on their road trip to face the Rockies and Padres, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Quadriceps soreness sent Brantley to the injured list over the weekend, though it sounds like he'll have a chance to make a minimum-length stay. He's eligible to return Saturday in San Diego.

Alex Bregman - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

8/20 9:41 AM EST - The Astros placed Bregman (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. He'll leave the Astros' ongoing road trip and return to Houston to undergo an MRI on his strained right hamstring, an injury he sustained in Wednesday's win over the Rockies. Bregman becomes the third major Houston hitter to land on the IL in the past week, joining Yordan Alvarez (knee) and Michael Brantley (quadriceps). A clearer timeline for Bregman's return should become available once his MRI results are read, but while he's sidelined, Abraham Toro, Jack Mayfield and Yuli Gurriel are the main candidates to see more time at third base.

Chris Devenski - 10-Day IL - Arm

8/12 1:37 PM EST - Devenski (arm) has progressed to throwing off a mound, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. A sore arm sent Devenski to the injured list at the start of August. He remains without a clear timetable, but given that he hasn't been out too long and that he's already back to throwing off a mound, he may not miss too many more games.

Aledmys Diaz - 10-Day IL - Groin

8/15 12:29 PM EST - Manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that Diaz (groin) is "a week to 10 days away" from rejoining the Astros, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Diaz suffered a groin strain on Opening Day and has been working his way back ever since. The Astros are currently at full strength in the infield and recently returned designated hitter Yordan Alvarez from the COVID-19 injured list, so Diaz will be destined for a bench role once he's reinstated from the IL.

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.

Josh James - Day-To-Day - Hip

8/20 4:10 PM EST - Astros manager Dusty Baker indicated that James was removed from Thursday's 10-8 win over the Rockies due to left hip discomfort, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. James appeared to suffer the injury while fielding the final out of the sixth inning. He recorded three outs in the appearance, but not before giving up a run on two hits and a walk. The Astros are labeling James as day-to-day for now, but he'll presumably be re-evaluated ahead of this weekend's series in San Diego.

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

8/12 12:56 PM EST - The Astros are hoping Osuna (elbow) can return later this season after rehabbing, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Osuna has been sidelined all month with an elbow injury. It was originally thought that the right-hander would require Tommy John surgery, but it sounds like he's going to attempt to rehab his elbow after receiving a second opinion. He's still shut down from throwing for the time being. Ryan Pressly should continue to serve as Houston's closer in the meantime.

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%.

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.

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

8/18 10:39 AM EST - Verlander (forearm) played catch Tuesday and felt good afterward, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Verlander has now made an important first step in proving the initial reports that he would miss the entire season with a forearm strain incorrect. He still has a long way to go before returning to game action, but it remains a possibility that he'll be able to do so before the end of the year if he continues progressing without setbacks.

Forrest Whitley - Out - Arm

8/20 8:21 AM EST - Whitley (arm) has yet to resume throwing at the Astros' alternate training site, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. He is still working out, but there has been no word on his diagnosis after visiting a doctor earlier this month after he reported some arm discomfort. Even if he eventually gets back to 100 percent without needing surgery, he has likely missed his window to contribute at the big-league level in 2020.

San Diego Padres

Pedro Avila - Out - Elbow

3/9 8:27 PM EST - Avila (elbow) was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The move is purely procedural as Avila was invited to big-league camp despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. He is not expected to play during the 2020 season.

Jose Castillo - 10-Day IL - Lat

8/3 3:15 PM EST - Castillo (lat) is feeling much better as he continues to recover, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports. Castillo has been sidelined since early July with a lat strain, but manager Jayce Tingler provided an encouraging update on his status Monday. The southpaw still hasn't resumed throwing off a mound, but Tingler said that he remains optimistic that Castillo will be able to pitch for the Padres later in the season.

Anderson Espinoza - 60-Day IL - Elbow

4/14 10:11 PM EST - Espinoza (elbow) was reportedly throwing and looking good in Padres camp, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Espinoza has undergone two Tommy John surgeries in the last three years and has not thrown in a game since the 2016 season. Still, the right-hander is only 22 years old and was once considered among the top pitching prospects in baseball, so he remains an intriguing arm to keep an eye on. Given Espinoza's injury history, he's likely to be eased back into action slowly and held to a strict innings limit when he's ready to resume pitching in games.

Brett Kennedy - Out - Lat

10/31 2:00 PM EST - Kennedy (lat) was outrighted to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Kennedy missed the entire 2019 season with a lat strain, and is now off the 40-man roster after posting a 6.75 ERA in six starts for the Padres in 2018. There's a chance he could attend major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Reggie Lawson - Out - Elbow

3/20 3:27 PM EST - Lawson underwent Tommy John surgery on Friday. Lawson suffered the injury during a spring training contest. Given a typical recovery timeline, he now won't return to action until the middle of the 2021 season. The 22-year-old made six starts at the Double-A level last season, recording a 5.20 ERA but a strong 29.8 percent strikeout rate.

Francisco Mejia - 10-Day IL - Thumb

8/17 2:16 PM EST - Mejia (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. Mejia was revealed to have a left thumb contusion Monday, and his placement on the injured list will give him extra time to recover while allowing the Padres to add depth at catcher on the 28-man roster. Luis Torrens was recalled in a corresponding move, but Austin Hedges should handle the majority of the duties behind the plate while Mejia is sidelined.

Andres Munoz - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/29 12:01 PM EST - The Padres placed Munoz (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday. The transaction was merely procedural after Munoz required Tommy John surgery back in March. He'll miss the entire 2020 season and could miss a portion of the 2021 campaign while recovering from the procedure.

Tommy Pham - 10-Day IL - Hand

8/17 2:09 PM EST - Pham (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. Pham was diagnosed with a fracture in the hamate bone on his left hand Monday, so it's no surprise to see him land on the injured list. He's expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks as a result of the injury, but it's possible he could return at the end of the regular season if the Padres are in playoff contention. Infielder Ty France was recalled in a corresponding move. Jurickson Profar, Edward Olivares and Jorge Mateo could see increases in playing time while Pham is sidelined.

Drew Pomeranz - Day-To-Day - Shoulder

8/20 9:38 PM EST - Pomeranz is dealing with shoulder tightness and is considered day-to-day according to manager Jayce Tingler, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. This explains why Pomeranz did not appear in Wednesday or Thursday's close wins over the Rangers. Pomeranz has served as the Friars' primary closer this year and it is unclear when he'll be available to pitch again. Emilio Pagan was called upon to get the save Thursday, but blew the opportunity by allowing a game-tying solo homer to Nick Solak. Nonetheless, Pagan could be the top candidate for save chances if Pomeranz is forced to miss time beyond Thursday.

Trey Wingenter - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/1 8:29 AM EST - Wingenter (elbow) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Saturday, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports. The move is simply procedural after Wingenter underwent Tommy John surgery July 17. The right-hander is expected to be sidelined until the 2022 season as a result of the injury.

Kirby Yates - 10-Day IL - Elbow

8/17 6:28 PM EST - Yates (elbow) is expected to miss the remainder of the 2020 season, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. It was reported earlier in the day that Yates was headed for a second opinion after bone chips were found in his right elbow, but this latest update from Nightengale gives reason to believe the right-hander may be done for the year. The team has yet to confirm this latest report. It's reasonable to expect another update on the closer in the near future.

Padres Expected Lineup

SP - Cal Quantrill

1. Trent Grisham

2. Fernando Tatis

3. Manny Machado

4. Eric Hosmer

5. Wil Myers

6. Jake Cronenworth

7. Josh Naylor

8. Jurickson Profar

9. Austin Hedges

Astros Expected Lineup

SP - Lance McCullers

1. George Springer

2. Josh Reddick

3. Alex Bregman

4. Yuli Gurriel

5. Carlos Correa

6. Jose Altuve

7. Kyle Tucker

8. Abraham Toro

9. Martin Maldonado

Top Picks From Each Team

Fernando Tatis, Padres: Padres is one of the popular picks for the NL MVP Award in this shortened season, and the star shortstop has done nothing to silence those claims. The budding superstar is hitting .312 with a 1.109 OPS in August and also has 12 homers on the season, making him one of the leaders in the league in that category.

Carlos Correa, Astros: Correa had been struggling a bit of late with five hits in his last 28 at-bats, but Coors Field is just the place for a hitter to get right. Through 24 games this season, Correa is batting .321 with a .894 OPS. He has been one of Houston's most consistent bats in 2020.

Captaincy Options

1. Fernando Tatis
2. Manny Machado
3. Carlos Correa
4. Trent Grisham

Dream11 Team

P – Garrett Richards

C – Austin Hedges

IF – Fernando Tatis (C)

IF – Manny Machado (VC)

IF – Carlos Correa

IF – Yuli Gurriel

OF – Trent Grisham

OF – Kyle Tucker

OF – Tommy Pham