Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Orioles at Nationals

Baltimore Orioles (5-7) at Washington Nationals (4-5)

Friday, August 7th, 6:05 PM EDT

Projected Starters

LHP Tommy Milone (0-1, 5.63 ERA) vs TBD (RHP Anibal Sanchez, 0-1, 7.20 ERA expected)

Game Preview

The Nationals have not announced who will be their starter for Friday's contest against the Orioles, although Anibal Sanchez is expected to get the nod – he struggled in his previous outing, allowing four earned runs – all of them via home runs – in five innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 27. Meanwhile, Baltimore have already announced the nod will go to lefty Tommy Milone. The veteran lefty struggled in Opening Day, but he bounced back admirably with eight strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays in his previous start. Either way, the Orioles have one of the weakest lineups in MLB ahead of this season, so the Nationals should be able to take full advantage of that with their strong offense led by Juan Soto and Trea Turner.

Injuries

Baltimore Orioles

Ty Blach - Out - Elbow

7/16 12:52 PM EST - Blach underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Blach experienced elbow soreness earlier in the month and ultimately opted for surgery after receiving a pair of opinions. The southpaw is set to all of the 2020 season and likely a good chunk of the 2021 campaign while recovering.

Hunter Harvey - 10-Day IL - Elbow

8/1 3:04 PM EST - Harvey (elbow) will start a throwing progression within the next few days, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The oft-injured Harvey had a chance to be part of the closer conversation in Baltimore this season, but he was sent to the injured list to open the season due to elbow soreness. The issue appears to be trending in the right direction, but it's not yet clear when he'll be ready to return to the field.

Trey Mancini - 60-Day IL - Abdomen

6/28 1:21 PM EST - Mancini (cancer) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The 28-year-old announced in April he was undergoing six months of treatment for his battle with colon cancer, so it was only a matter of time before the team removed him from the 40-man roster. Mancini isn't expected to see the field in 2020 as a result, though he's expressed optimism about making a full recovery and resuming his career next season.

Richie Martin - 60-Day IL - Wrist

7/16 12:54 PM EST - Martin underwent surgery Wednesday to repair his fractured right wrist, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Martin is expected to miss 2-to-3 months following surgery, effectively putting an end to his 2020 season. He appeared in 120 games during his rookie season in 2019, slashing .208/.260/.322 in 309 plate appearances.

John Means - Bereavement - Not Injury Related

8/5 12:36 PM EST - Means was placed on the bereavement list Wednesday. Players traditionally spend three days on the bereavement list, though it's possible pandemic-related protocols extend Means' absence slightly. Means pitched Tuesday against the Marlins and lines up to pitch Sunday against the Nationals, though the Orioles have yet to announce their rotation plans for the weekend.

Josh Rogers - Out - Elbow

10/30 12:18 PM EST - Rogers (elbow) cleared waivers Wednesday and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Rogers underwent Tommy John surgery in early July and is unlikely to pitch until late in 2020 if at all. He allowed 14 earned runs in 14.1 big-league innings prior to the injury.

Rio Ruiz - Day-To-Day - Shoulder

8/6 1:25 PM EST - Ruiz (shoulder) is not starting Thursday against the Marlins, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Ruiz hasn't played since Saturday due to a sore shoulder, but the hope is that he'll be able to rejoin the lineup Friday or Saturday, per Joe Trezza of MLB.com. Pat Valaika is starting at the hot corner in his place Thursday.

Kohl Stewart - Covid-19 - Opt Out

7/31 1:22 PM EST - Stewart is opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19. The 25-year-old was in the mix to start Sunday's game versus the Rays, but he'll instead step away from the team due to the potential for serious complications from coronavirus as a Type 1 diabetic. Stewart was removed from the 60-man player pool and 40-man roster and was replaced by Tom Eshelman.

Dillon Tate - 10-Day IL - Forearm

8/4 4:17 PM EST - Tate (forearm) resumed throwing at the alternate training site recently, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports. Tate has been shut down with a sore right forearm since just before the regular season. While an exact timetable to return hasn't been established, manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that the right-hander is, "a couple weeks or less away" from his return if his rehab goes well. Once he's available, Tate should claim a middle-innings role out of the bullpen.

Stevie Wilkerson - Out - Finger

7/26 9:26 AM EST - Wilkerson (finger) could be sidelined for the rest of the season, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The Orioles haven't provided a specific recovery timeline, but it appears the 28-year-old may be sidelined for the next two-plus months after fracturing his left ring finger last week. Wilkerson had a .669 OPS in 119 games last season and was in competition for a spot on the 30-man roster prior to the injury.

Washington Nationals

Tres Barrera - Suspension - Suspension

7/25 8:22 AM EST - Barrera was suspended 80 games Saturday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Barrera wasn't expected to serve on the Nationals' major-league roster this season, but he'll be forced to sit out the entire 2020 campaign and part of next season. The catcher played most of the 2019 season with Double-A Harrisburg, where he hit .249/.323/.381 with eight home runs and 46 RBI.

Welington Castillo - Out - Opt Out

7/22 9:53 AM EST - The Nationals placed Castillo (opt out) on the restricted list July 4. Washington made the transaction official one day after manager Dave Martinez told the media that Castillo became the third player to sit out the 60-game season. Castillo joined the Nationals in January on a one-year deal, so he'll head to the open market at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.

Mason Denaburg - Out - Shoulder

7/7 6:32 AM EST - Denaburg (shoulder) said Tuesday that he expects to resume throwing bullpen sessions in the next three weeks, Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com reports. The 2018 first-round pick has been pleased thus far with how he's progressed since undergoing arthroscopic right shoulder surgery last October. Denaburg plans to gradually increase his long-toss distance off flat ground through the end of July, and then get back on the mound for the first time since last summer. If the 20-year-old can steer clear of any major setbacks in his throwing program during the upcoming offseason, he should head into the 2021 minor-league season at full strength.

Roenis Elias - 60-Day IL - Elbow

7/26 2:19 PM EST - Elias was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday with a left flexor elbow strain, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Elias was late to camp for an undisclosed reason but threw Saturday and felt some pain afterward. The southpaw underwent an MRI, which revealed a strain in his throwing elbow that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. However, he'll be eligible to return this season after a minimum of 45 days. Elias battled a hamstring injury last season that kept him sidelined for most of the second half of the year after he was traded to Washington.

Steven Fuentes - Suspension - Suspension

7/16 5:20 PM EST - Fuentes was cleared to train and will be headed to Fredericksburg on Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Fuentes and Joan Adon both will head to Fredericksburg to join their teammates and begin training for the upcoming regular season. Washington added Fuentes to their 60-man player pool earlier this summer to ensure that he will finish serving his 50-game suspension when the 2021 season arrives. The 23-year-old was having a breakout 2019 campaign before testing positive for a banned stimulant, posting a 2.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 63:15 K:BB across 63.2 innings for Double-A Hagerstown.

Will Harris - 10-Day IL - Groin

7/31 7:35 AM EST - Harris was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin Friday, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports. The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, so Harris could return as soon as next Saturday. Whether or not he's expected to do so remains to be seen. Harris has appeared twice this season, allowing three runs (one earned) over 1.1 innings.

Joe Ross - Out - Opt Out

6/29 12:16 PM EST - Ross is expected to opt out of joining the Nationals for the 2020 season, sources tell Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. Ross is the second known player who is expected to forgo playing in 2020 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic after Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake announced his intentions earlier Monday. As a result, Ross will forgo his $1.5 million salary for 2020 before heading into his final year of salary arbitration in 2021. Ross had been a leading candidate for the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation, but his decision to sit out the season could lead to more starting opportunities for Austin Voth and Erick Fedde.

Adrian Sanchez - 7-Day IL - Achilles

6/29 9:40 AM EST - Updating a previous report, the Nationals relayed Monday that Sanchez (Achilles) was placed on the minor-league injured list and isn't included as part of the big club's 60-man player pool, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. The Nationals had previously announced Sunday that Sanchez had been placed on the 60-day injured list after tearing his right Achilles' tendon in a workout a few weeks ago. However, because he was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in late March before he suffered the injury, he'll revert to the minor-league IL rather than the MLB team's IL. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the transaction means he won't be eligible for major-league payment and service time while he recovers from surgery that will keep him sidelined throughout the 2020 season, and likely, a decent chunk of the 2021 campaign. The move still leaves one spot open on the 40-man roster for the Nationals, though the team won't be extended an extra spot in the 60-man player pool to replace Sanchez.

Max Scherzer - Day-To-Day - Hamstring

8/5 6:09 PM EST - Scherzer said he exited after one inning Wednesday against the Mets due to a tweaked hamstring, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. The veteran right-hander apparently first suffered the injury prior to his start against the Blue Jays last week, but he was able to pitch through it and thought he could do so again Wednesday. Catcher Kurt Suzuki felt Scherzer didn't look like himself during the first inning versus the Mets, so the Nationals decided to play it safe and pull him. The 36-year-old indicated it's a minor injury and shouldn't impact his status going forward, per Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post, but it's worth keeping an eye on his progression heading into his next turn through the rotation.

Stephen Strasburg - Day-To-Day - Hand

8/5 6:44 PM EST - Strasburg (hand) completed a 32-pitch simulated game Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. The 32-year-old threw a 31-pitch bullpen session Sunday and was slated to throw 45-to-50 pitches during the simulated game, but he didn't ramp up his pitch count as expected. It's unclear how that impacts his potential return, and the team will wait to see how Strasburg feels Thursday before determining the next step.

Ryan Zimmerman - Out - Opt Out

6/29 12:31 PM EST - Zimmerman informed the Nationals on Monday that he has opted out of playing in the 2020 season, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports. Zimmerman's decision comes less than a week after he outlined his concerns about how playing during the COVID-19 pandemic could compromise the immune systems of his wife and newborn baby in an essay posted by the Associated Press. Along with Zimmerman, teammate Joe Ross has also elected not to play in 2020, leaving the Nationals with less depth at first base and in the rotation, respectively. With Zimmerman out of the mix, the Nationals could lean more heavily on Howie Kendrick as the primary platoon mate at first base with the left-handed-hitting Eric Thames. Zimmerman will forgo his $6.25 million salary in 2020 and hit free agency in the offseason, but it's unclear if the soon-to-be 37-year-old will have interest in resuming his career in 2021.

Nationals Expected Lineup

SP - Anibal Sanchez

1. Trea Turner

2. Adam Eaton

3. Starlin Castro

4. Juan Soto

5. Howie Kendrick

6. Asdrubal Cabrera

7. Carter Kieboom

8. Yan Gomes

9. Victor Robles

Orioles Expected Lineup

SP - Tommy Milone

1. Austin Hays

2. Anthony Santander

3. Jose Iglesias

4. Renato Nunez

5. Chris Davis

6. Hanser Alberto

7. Rio Ruiz

8. Pedro Severino

9. DJ Stewart

Top Picks / Captaincy Options

1. Juan Soto - Nationals
2. Trea Turner - Nationals
3. Adam Eaton - Nationals
4. Anthony Santander - Orioles

Dream11 Team

P – Anibal Sanchez

C – Tres Barrera

IF – Trea Turner (VC)

IF – Carter Kieboom

IF – Renato Nunez

OF – Juan Soto (C)

OF – Adam Eaton

OF – Anthony Santander

OF – Austin Hays