This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy Baseball series.
Philadelphia Phillies (9-14) at Atlanta Braves (16-11)
Sunday, August 23rd, 7:08 PM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Zach Eflin (0-1, 5.14 ERA) vs RHP Josh Tomlin (1-0, 2.35 ERA)
Game Preview
The Braves will be without their star centerfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr., in Sunday's matchup against the Phillies, but they should still be favorites here – they have a far better record in comparison to Philadelphia, and the Phillies are five games under the .500 threshold – they look quite unlikely to reach the playoffs if they don't turn things around soon. The pitching matchup will be underwhelming, with the Braves sending Josh Tomlin and the Phillies countering with Zach Eflin. Tomlin has been pitching well of late, and he should thrive once again in his second start of the campaign after beginning the 2020 season as a reliever.
Injuries
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuna - 10-Day IL - Wrist
8/21 2:12 PM EST - Acuna (wrist) is expected to resume swinging a bat Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. The team doesn't have an official timeline for his return, but there should be a better idea of his progression after he swings Saturday. Acuna is already eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list, but his return shouldn't be expected until he's cleared for more participation in baseball activities. Ender Inciarte will continue seeing the bulk of the playing time in center field in the meantime, with prospect Cristian Pache potentially also in the mix.
Philadelphia Phillies (9-14) at Atlanta Braves (16-11)
Sunday, August 23rd, 7:08 PM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Zach Eflin (0-1, 5.14 ERA) vs RHP Josh Tomlin (1-0, 2.35 ERA)
Game Preview
The Braves will be without their star centerfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr., in Sunday's matchup against the Phillies, but they should still be favorites here – they have a far better record in comparison to Philadelphia, and the Phillies are five games under the .500 threshold – they look quite unlikely to reach the playoffs if they don't turn things around soon. The pitching matchup will be underwhelming, with the Braves sending Josh Tomlin and the Phillies countering with Zach Eflin. Tomlin has been pitching well of late, and he should thrive once again in his second start of the campaign after beginning the 2020 season as a reliever.
Injuries
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuna - 10-Day IL - Wrist
8/21 2:12 PM EST - Acuna (wrist) is expected to resume swinging a bat Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. The team doesn't have an official timeline for his return, but there should be a better idea of his progression after he swings Saturday. Acuna is already eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list, but his return shouldn't be expected until he's cleared for more participation in baseball activities. Ender Inciarte will continue seeing the bulk of the playing time in center field in the meantime, with prospect Cristian Pache potentially also in the mix.
Ozzie Albies - 10-Day IL - Wrist
8/22 7:05 AM EST - Albies (wrist) was able to do some hitting Friday, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The second baseman had been resting since Tuesday, but he was able to resume swinging a bat. Albies is feeling better, according to manager Brian Snitker, but there's no timetable for his return to action.
Cole Hamels - 60-Day IL - Triceps
7/23 1:57 PM EST - Hamels (triceps) was placed on the 45-day injured list Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Not much has gone right for Hamels since he signed with the Braves; he dealt with a shoulder issue early in camp before landing on the IL last week with triceps tendinitis. Following this most recent move, the southpaw will be sidelined until at least the beginning of September. Kyle Wright and Josh Tomlin are candidates to fill in for Hamels in the rotation.
Felix Hernandez - Out - Opt Out
7/4 7:58 PM EST - Hernandez will opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19, according to his agent, Wilfredo Polidor. The veteran right-hander was included on the team's 60-player roster pool and was competing with Sean Newcomb for a spot in the starting rotation, but he'll elect to sit out the 60-game season to help protect himself and his family, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Hernandez joins the growing list of players who have opted out, including David Price, Ryan Zimmerman, Welington Castillo and Joe Ross. Kyle Wright figures to be the next man up to compete for a rotation spot for Atlanta.
Nick Markakis - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related
8/18 3:35 PM EST - Markakis was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday after being potentially exposed to the virus, though he has tested negative to this point. The move was made out of an "abundance of caution," and Markakis could rejoin the team relatively quickly if he continues to produce negative test results. Cristian Pache, one of the organization's top prospects, was recalled for outfield depth with Ronald Acuna (wrist) also unavailable.
Philip Pfeifer - 60-Day IL - Elbow
7/21 8:42 AM EST - Pfeifer was placed on the 45-day injured list Tuesday with a bone contusion in his left elbow, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports. Pfeifer didn't seem likely to fill a significant role in the Braves' bullpen this season, as he's a 28-year-old who's yet to reach the majors. He'll now be ineligible to make his debut until early September at the earliest.
Mike Soroka - 60-Day IL - Achilles
8/8 3:25 PM EST - Soroka underwent successful surgery on his torn right Achilles' tendon Friday. Soroka had to be helped off the field after suffering the injury in his third start of the season against the Mets on Monday. He'll be out for the remainder of the season, and his readiness for Opening Day next year is in doubt as well.
Jeremy Walker - 60-Day IL - Shoulder
6/26 11:36 AM EST - Walker was placed on the 45-day injured list Friday with a right shoulder impingement. The 25-year-old suffered the injury early in spring camp and was never provided an official timetable for his return, but he clearly needs more time to recover. Walker made his big-league debut in 2019 and allowed two runs over 9.1 innings, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play during the shortened 2020 season.
Jacob Webb - 60-Day IL - Shoulder
7/21 8:30 AM EST - Webb was placed on the 45-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Tuesday, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports. Webb could have played a role in Atlanta's bullpen this season, as he produced a strong 1.39 ERA in his 32.1-inning debut last year, but he'll now be sidelined for at least the majority of the campaign. It's not clear when he's expected to return, but he won't be eligible to do so until early September.
Philadelphia Phillies
Jose Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Groin
8/21 1:39 PM EST - Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a testicular contusion, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The 31-year-old was hit square in the groin by a 105-mph comebacker during Thursday's game against the Blue Jay, and he'll need at least 10 days on the shelf to recover. JoJo Romero was added to the active roster in a corresponding move.
Jay Bruce - 10-Day IL - Quadriceps
8/22 12:39 PM EST - Bruce was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a quadriceps injury, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports. Bruce has seen inconsistent playing time recently with a lingering quad issue, and the team hopes that a trip to the injured list will help his health over the rest of the season. It's unclear whether he'll be able to return after spending the minimum of 10 days sidelined. Adam Haseley (wrist) was activated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.
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.
Mickey Moniak - Out - Knee
8/10 11:36 AM EST - Moniak has been sidelined at the Phillies' alternate training site since late July with a knee injury, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 first-year player draft isn't a serious candidate to join the Phillies' 28-man active roster this season, but the knee injury will nonetheless rob him of some important developmental time in simulated games at Lehigh Valley. Moniak has since moved to the Phillies' spring training facility in Clearwater to receive treatment for the injury, and it's unclear when he'll be ready to return to Lehigh Valley for workouts. Moniak spent the 2019 campaign with Double-A Reading, slashing .252/.303/.439 with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases across 503 plate appearances.
David Robertson - 60-Day IL - Elbow
8/21 2:22 PM EST - Robertson (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. The veteran right-hander completed a bullpen session Thursday as he continue his recovery from Tommy John surgery in August 2019. Robertson could take the mound for the Phillies sometime this season if he continues to progress without any setbacks.
Ranger Suarez - Covid-19 - Illness
8/11 3:43 PM EST - Suarez (illness) will throw in Philadelphia within the next few days before heading to the team's alternate training site to continue building up, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Suarez had at least an outside shot at winning the Phillies' fifth starter job this season, but he never got the chance to compete for one this summer, as he spent the entirety of camp on the COVID-19 injured list. He's unlikely to be used as a starter once he's ready to go given that the team's top pitching prospect, Spencer Howard, has since made his big-league debut.
Braves Expected Lineup
SP - Josh Tomlin
5. Matt Adams
6. Austin Riley
Phillies Expected Lineup
SP - Zach Eflin
2. Rhys Hoskins
3. Bryce Harper
6. Jean Segura
7. Adam Haseley
8. Alec Bohm
Top Picks From Each Team
Marcell Ozuna, Braves: Ozuna should represent one of the biggest offensive threats for the Braves in this matchup due to the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr., although Freddie Freeman might also be a strong play. Ozuna enters this matchup on a six-game hitting streak, going 9-for-23 with three homers and seven RBI in that stretch.
Bryce Harper, Phillies: Harper has been on a tear this season and, even though the Phillies have not gotten good results, the star outfielder has looked almost unstoppable. Harper is hitting .343 with a 1.192 OPS – a figure that would be a career-best for him – with seven homers and 19 RBI in the current season.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Josh Tomlin
C – J.T. Realmuto
IF – Dansby Swanson
IF – Freddie Freeman (VC)
IF – Didi Gregorius
OF – Nick Markakis
OF – Marcell Ozuna (C)
OF – Bryce Harper
OF – Andrew McCutchen
