This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy Baseball series.
Los Angeles Dodgers (5-3) at San Diego Padres (6-2)
Monday, August 3rd, 9:10 PM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Walker Buehler (0-0, 4.91 ERA) vs RHP Chris Paddack (1-0, 1.64 ERA)
Game Preview
The Padres have been one of the biggest surprises in the MLB season so far, and they currently hold a 6-2 record off their first eight games. The Dodgers are not too far behind them, though, and own a 5-3 record. Given the season will only feature 60 games, this game could have huge implications in the race for the NL West title. The pitching matchup will be a stellar one, as Walker Buehler will go up against Chris Paddack. The Dodgers' hurler is one of the top Cy Young candidates for the 2020 season and lasted just 3.2 innings against the Houston Astros in his previous start, although he did retire 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before melting down. As for Paddack, he fanned 10 in his season debut but is eager to face the Dodgers, a team he faced thrice last season while posting a 5.65 ERA.
Injuries
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
Los Angeles Dodgers (5-3) at San Diego Padres (6-2)
Monday, August 3rd, 9:10 PM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Walker Buehler (0-0, 4.91 ERA) vs RHP Chris Paddack (1-0, 1.64 ERA)
Game Preview
The Padres have been one of the biggest surprises in the MLB season so far, and they currently hold a 6-2 record off their first eight games. The Dodgers are not too far behind them, though, and own a 5-3 record. Given the season will only feature 60 games, this game could have huge implications in the race for the NL West title. The pitching matchup will be a stellar one, as Walker Buehler will go up against Chris Paddack. The Dodgers' hurler is one of the top Cy Young candidates for the 2020 season and lasted just 3.2 innings against the Houston Astros in his previous start, although he did retire 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before melting down. As for Paddack, he fanned 10 in his season debut but is eager to face the Dodgers, a team he faced thrice last season while posting a 5.65 ERA.
Injuries
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.
Mookie Betts - Day-To-Day - Finger
8/2 4:24 PM EST - Betts' X-ray was negative and he is day-to-day with a swollen finger, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Betts exited Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks in the seventh inning, but manager Dave Roberts revealed after the contest that an X-ray didn't show anything concerning. After Sunday's two-hit performance, the 27-year-old has recorded five extra-base hits in the past three games.
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 - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
7/23 3:20 PM EST - Reks (undisclosed) did not make the Dodgers' 30-man roster. Reks has been on the 10-day injured list since July 8, and the team has not provided an update on his status. It's unclear how long Reks will be out or if he'll be sent to the team's alternate training site when he recovers.
Corey Seager - Day-To-Day - Quadriceps
8/2 4:40 PM EST - Seager (quad) could serve as the designated hitter Monday against the Padres, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Seager was held out of Sunday's win against the Diamondbacks, but manager Dave Roberts said after the game that he received treatment for his quad issue. If Seager shifts to the designated hitter role while he recovers, Chris Taylor would be the most likely candidate to see time at shortstop.
Cody Thomas - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
7/23 3:37 PM EST - Thomas (undisclosed) is not part of the Dodgers' 30-man roster. Thomas has been on the injured list since July 8 and did not make an appearance at the team's summer camp. The 25-year-old turned heads with a strong showing in Cactus League play, but he's not expected to make much of an impact at the major-league level this season.
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.
Alex Wood - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
7/31 2:06 PM EST - Wood is resting his left arm and allowing his shoulder inflammation to subside, thus he has not yet returned to baseball activities, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports. Wood was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, and the Dodgers have opted to allow the southpaw time to heal before pushing him to ramp up again. Per Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA, Wood will not pick up a baseball for a week, so a minimum stay on the IL appears to be a long shot. With Wood out of the rotation for the time being, Dustin May figures to continue filling in as a starter.
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
7/23 12:16 AM EST - Castillo (lat) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Castillo was diagnosed with a Grade 2 lat strain July 9 and was subsequently projected to miss six weeks, so a move to the injured list was inevitable. While a return during the 2020 season isn't out of the question, the severity of the injury leaves Castillo's status for the campaign in doubt.
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.
Eric Hosmer - 10-Day IL - Illness
8/1 4:19 PM EST - Hosmer was placed on the 10-day injured list with gastritis Saturday. The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, so Hosmer can return as soon as next Saturday, though it's not yet clear whether or not he's expected to do so. Jake Cronenworth and Ty France have deputized at first base in his absence.
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.
Jorge Mateo - Covid-19 - Illness
7/23 11:56 AM EST - Mateo (illness) has cleared all health protocols but remains on the injured list, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. Mateo tested positive earlier in the month, and while he's back to full health, the infielder still needs time to get back into game shape. Once he's ready to go, Mateo is a candidate to fill a utility infield role.
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.
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.
Dodgers Expected Lineup
SP - Walker Buehler
1. Max Muncy
2. Mookie Betts
5. Corey Seager
6. Joc Pederson
7. A.J. Pollock
8. Will Smith
9. Chris Taylor
Padres Expected Lineup
SP - Chris Paddack
4. Tommy Pham
6. Wil Myers
7. Josh Naylor
Top Picks From Each Team
Mookie Betts, Dodgers: Dodgers is coming off an impressive week, as he went 11-for-29 (.379) with two home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and a .759 slugging percentage over his last seven games. He also has one hit off the lone time he faced Padres starter Chris Paddack.
Fernando Tatis, Padres: Tatis was the Padres' hero Friday with a ninth-inning home run that sparked a rally, but he has been much more than that for the San Diego franchise. The young shortstop has two home runs, three stolen bases and nine RBI already while slashing a solid .275/.383/.550 with a .933 OPS in 40 at-bats.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Walker Buehler
C – Francisco Mejia
IF – Max Muncy (C)
IF – Justin Turner
IF – Corey Seager
IF – Fernando Tatis
IF – Manny Machado
OF – Mookie Betts (VC)
OF – A.J. Pollock
