Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Orioles at Nationals

Baltimore Orioles (6-7) at Washington Nationals (4-6)

Sunday, August 9th, 12:35 PM EDT

Projected starters

RHP Asher Wojciechowski (0-2, 5.40 ERA) vs RHP Stephen Strasburg (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game Preview

The Orioles have been one of the biggest surprises in the MLB this season, as they have won six of 13 games – that's a lot considering they're expected to be one of the weakest teams in the American League. The Nationals, on the other hand, have looked disappointing with just four wins in 10 games – that's not a good return for a team that won the World Series less than 12 months ago. The pitching matchup for this game will feature two righties, as Asher Wojciechowski will get the nod for the Orioles while Stephen Strasburg will make his season debut for the Nats – Strasburg is coming off a stellar postseason in 2019, in which he was named the World Series MVP while posting a 5-0 record. As for Wojciechowski, he will only get three days of rest while tossing 67 pitches the last time out. That's a recipe for disaster, especially pitching on the road and against a tough lineup such as the Nationals' one. As such, there are strong chances that he won't pitch deeper into the game.

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

8/8 1:01 PM EST - Harvey (elbow) has gotten through the start of his throwing progression without issues but isn't expected to return for at least another three weeks, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Harvey seemed to have the potential to throw high-leverage innings for the Orioles this season, but there's always doubt about his ability to throw any innings at all, as he's battled a long list of injuries over his professional career. His latest issue, elbow soreness, popped up in the final week of summer camp and will wind up keeping him sidelined for over a month. He has the talent to pick up saves down the stretch this season, but he'll have to prove that he's both healthy and effective before being given that opportunity.

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

8/8 1:03 PM EST - Means (bereavement) won't start Sunday's game against the Nationals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The traditional timeline for spending time on the bereavement list is three days, which would have put Means on track to return Sunday. However, manager Brandon Hyde announced that Asher Wojciechowski will start on short rest for Sunday's series finale against the Nationals. It's unclear when Means will return from the bereavement list, but his next chance to start would be on the road Tuesday against the Phillies.

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.

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

8/8 11:17 AM EST - Scherzer (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. Scherzer left his previous start against the Mets on Wednesday after he tweaked his hamstring. If he checks out fine following his bullpen session, he could be in line to return to the mound against those same Mets as soon as Tuesday.

Stephen Strasburg - Day-To-Day - Hand

8/7 11:21 AM EST - Strasurg (hand) will make his season debut Sunday against the Orioles, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Strasburg was expected to start the Nationals' second game of the season but was a late scratch due to a nerve issue in his hand, something he's apparently dealt with before. He maintained his throwing program after his original scratch and has been able to build up to close to a full workload, though he's not expected to throw more than 80 pitches, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.

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 - Stephen Strasburg

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 - Asher Wojciechowski

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. Dwight Smith

Top Picks From Each Team

Juan Soto, Nationals: Soto went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Orioles. Soto has wasted no time getting into a groove at the plate after his delayed start to the season, going 4-for-11 in his first three games with a double and Saturday's home run.

Anthony Santander, Orioles: Santander went deep Saturday against the Nationals, also recording one hit in three at-bats. The 25-year-old outfielder is enjoying a productive start to 2020, hitting .250 (14-for-56) through 14 games with three homers and 12 RBI.

Captaincy Options

1. Juan Soto
2. Trea Turner
3. Adam Eaton
4. Stephen Strasburg

Dream11 Team

P – Stephen Strasburg

C – Raudy Read

IF – Jose Iglesias

IF – Trea Turner (VC)

IF – Carter Kieboom

IF – Renato Nunez

OF – Juan Soto (C)

OF – Anthony Santander

OF – Adam Eaton