Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Twins at Pirates

Minnesota Twins (10-2) at Pittsburgh Pirates (2-10)

Thursday, August 6th, 1:35 PM EDT

Projected starters

RHP Kenta Maeda (2-0, 1.64 ERA) vs RHP JT Brubaker (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game Preview

The Twins sit at the top of the AL Central standings with a 10-2 record, one of the best in all of baseball, and they own a 9-1 record over their last 10 games – they undoubtedly are one of the hottest teams in MLB right now. Meanwhile, the Pirates are 2-10 and have performed as many expected – after all, they were always expected to be one of the weakest sides in the National League. The pitching matchup favors the Twins as well, as Kenta Maeda will go up against JT Brubaker in a duel of right-handers. Maeda has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season, and he should be in line for a strong performance against the weak Pirates lineup.

Injuries

Minnesota Twins

Akil Baddoo - Out - Elbow

5/25 1:32 PM EST - Baddoo will have reconstructive elbow surgery and the hope is that he is ready for spring training in 2020, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. He suffered a left elbow strain earlier in the month, and unfortunately his 2019 season will largely amount to a lost year. Baddoo's dynasty stock had been trending down before the injury, as he was hitting .214/.290/.393 with four home runs, six steals and a 29.8 percent strikeout rate in 29 games with High-A Fort Myers. His stock won't rebound until early next season at the earliest, so it's reasonable to cut bait in many dynasty leagues.

Homer Bailey - 10-Day IL - Biceps

8/2 11:07 AM EST - The Twins placed Bailey on the injured list Sunday with right biceps tendinitis, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. Initially lined up to start Sunday's series finale against the Indians, Bailey was pushed back a day in the pitching schedule for what was believed to be rest purposes, but his move to the injured list suggests otherwise. As a result of Bailey's shutdown, Randy Dobnak is expected to stick around in the rotation for at least another turn, while Jake Odorizzi (back) will likely be activated from the 10-day IL later this week to fill the vacated starting spot.

Josh Donaldson - Day-To-Day - Calf

8/5 10:26 AM EST - Donaldson (calf) will sit for the fifth straight game Wednesday against the PIrates. Donaldson has been on the shelf with right calf tightness since leaving Friday's game against Cleveland due to the injury. The issue is apparently not too serious, but the veteran has had calf issues in the past, and the Twins can afford to be quite cautious due to the expanded playoffs and their 9-2 start. Ehire Adrianza will be the third baseman in this one, with Marwin Gonzalez shifting over to first base.

Nick Gordon - Out - Illness

7/28 11:05 PM EST - Gordon still has not reported to Minnesota's alternate site camp in St. Paul after testing positive for COVID-19, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "There are some protocols as to when you would test and subsequently test from an onset of symptoms and then from whenever symptoms do stop, so he's in that protocol," president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. Gordon was showing symptoms, according to Falvey, so he'll likely need some time to get back to full speed even when cleared to practice. Falvey said Gordon is feeling fine now. However, at this point he may not be an option for the Twins at the major-league level if needed for depth until the second half of the season.

Blaine Hardy - Out - Elbow

3/27 3:54 PM EST - Hardy underwent Tommy John surgery last week, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reports. Hardy dealt with elbow issues last season and received platelet-rich plasma injection in August. That procedure evidently didn't have the desired results, so he elected to go under the knife. He likely won't be back in game action until the middle of the 2021 campaign.

Rich Hill - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/4 9:49 AM EST - Hill (shoulder) hasn't thrown a bullpen session since his last start back on July 29 and won't throw one until Friday at the earliest, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. Hill will get a long rest between his first two starts of the year, as he landed on the 10-day injured list due to shoulder fatigue Monday. He expects to be able to pitch sometime next week, though the Twins have yet to announce a timeline for his return.

Edouard Julien - Out - Elbow

2/13 9:40 AM EST - Julien is recovering from August 2019 Tommy John surgery, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs reports. This explains why Julien did not play in 2019 after the Twins gave him an over-slot $493,000 bonus in the 18th round of the draft. He has huge raw power but is a poor defender, so he really needs to cut down on the strikeouts. Look for him to be assigned to an affiliate sometime this summer.

Zack Littell - 10-Day IL - Hamstring

8/1 2:23 PM EST - Littell was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Saturday. Littell struggled through his first two outings of the year, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out just one over three innings. It's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Jorge Alcala was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

Jake Odorizzi - 10-Day IL - Back

8/3 2:53 PM EST - Odorizzi (back) looked good after throwing Monday and is expected to start sometime during the Twins' weekend series in Kansas City, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. Odorizzi has been dealing with upper-back stiffness since mid-July, causing him to miss the early part of the season. He won't miss much more time, though it's not yet clear what kind of workload he'll be ready to handle in his first start of the year.

Michael Pineda - Suspension - Suspension

7/2 8:57 PM EST - Pineda will miss the first 36 games, not the 39 originally believed, as Minnesota's three playoff games last season counted for his 60-game suspension, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Pineda was suspended 80 games in early September for taking a banned diuretic. The suspension was later reduced to 60 games after he argued it was not being used as a masking agent for a performance-enhancing drug, and he served the first 21 games of the penalty last season. A recent clarification from the league showed Minnesota's playoff games counted in his suspension. He will be eligible for a playoff roster in 2020. While three more games could give Pineda an extra start, he still may make just a handful of starts this season, making it hard to justify rostering him in most fantasy formats.

Fernando Romero - Out - Not Injury Related

6/29 3:11 PM EST - Romero, who missed all of spring training in February and March due to visa issues, was placed on the restricted list ahead of the 2020 season. Romero wasn't placed on the 60-man player pool as a result. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said that Romero is not anticipated to arrive for training camp due to continued visa issues from the Dominican Republic. He may not be available this season as a result.

Tyler Wells - Out - Elbow

5/25 9:07 PM EST - Wells will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the 2019 season, TwinsDaily.com reports. Wells had a 2.49 ERA and 121:31 K:BB ratio in 119.1 innings between High-A and Double-A last year. He was a bit old for his level of competition at 23, but he showed signs of being a late bloomer. He hadn't pitched yet this year and may need well into 2020 before he's ready to return.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Chris Archer - 60-Day IL - Shoulder

6/29 12:57 PM EST - Archer (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday. He will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to relieve symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. Chad Kuhl and Steven Brault (shoulder) appear to be the top two options to win the fifth starter's spot.

Nick Burdi - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/5 2:05 PM EST - Burdi was placed on the 45-day injured list with an unspecified elbow injury Wednesday. The Pirates handled the oft-injured righty cautiously early in the season, avoiding using him on back-to-back days, but the injury bug returned nonetheless. He picked up his first career save in one of his three appearances this season but may not pitch again this year, as there will be little over a week left in the season if he returns when first eligible in mid-September. Burdi has thrown just 43.1 total innings across all levels since the start of the 2016 season. Keone Kela will be the Pirates' closer when he returns from the COVID-19 injured list.

Kyle Crick - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

8/2 11:14 AM EST - Crick (shoulder) is feeling better and "doing work" at PNC Park, general manager Ben Cherington told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Despite the encouraging news, the team doesn't have clarity on when he might return to pitch. With the emergence of Nick Burdi and the improving health of Keone Kela, Crick will likely move back into an eighth-inning role whenever he's activated.

Michael Feliz - 60-Day IL - Forearm

8/4 10:10 AM EST - The Pirates transferred Feliz (forearm) to the 45-day injured list Monday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. According to Berry, the Pirates initially termed Feliz's injury as "right forearm discomfort" when he was moved to the 10-day IL Sunday. Feliz may have undergone some follow-up testing on the injury, however, as he's now being listed with a forearm strain while he shifts to the 45-day IL. The transactions opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Yacksel Rios, whose contract was selected from the Pirates' alternate camp site in a corresponding move. Feliz will likely be sidelined until the second half of September and could be done for the season, depending on the severity of the forearm strain.

Clay Holmes - 10-Day IL - Forearm

7/28 2:54 PM EST - Holmes was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain Tuesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. After his fastball clocked in at 94.3 mph over the past two seasons, Holmes' velocity was down to 92.4 mph in his first appearance in 2020, and this forearm injury may have very well played a part in that. It's unclear how much time the right-hander will miss as a result. Despite his decreased velocity, Holmes allowed no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings in his season debut.

Keone Kela - Covid-19 - Undisclosed

8/4 5:21 PM EST - Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Kela (COVID-19) would serve as the team's closer upon returning from the injured list, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports. The Pirates named Kela as their closer prior to spring training, but he was forced to the IL to begin the season after a positive COVID-19 test delayed his arrival to summer camp. Though Kela has since cleared all health-related protocols and is in the process of building up his arm for game action, the Pirates have yet to pinpoint a target date for his return. Fortunately for Kela, the Pirates' 2-9 start to the season has left the team's other late-inning relief options with few opportunities to test their mettle in save situations, so the 27-year-old should have a decent amount of leash at closer once activated.

Mitch Keller - 10-Day IL - Oblique

8/2 11:01 AM EST - The Pirates are unlikely to have a timetable regarding the injury to Keller (oblique) for several days, general manager Ben Cherington told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Cherington said the team will need more time to determine the severity of Keller's injury. "It takes a couple days to get a handle on it," the general manager noted. He applauded Keller for not trying to push through the oblique injury, something that may help the righty return to action sooner than if he had continued to pitch through the pain.

Kevin Kramer - 60-Day IL - Hip

6/29 1:02 PM EST - The Pirates placed Kramer (hip) on the 10-day injured list Monday and then transferred him to the 60-day IL. He underwent hip surgery in March that will sideline him for 4-to-6 months, so it's possible he won't play at all this season. Kramer was set to compete for a bench role under normal circumstances.

Travis MacGregor - Day-To-Day - Elbow

4/4 8:17 AM EST - MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. A 6-foot-3, 180-pound projectable righty, MacGregor wasn't really on the dynasty-league radar, but he could have gotten himself there with a healthy, productive season at High-A. Instead, he will be on the shelf all season and may not even be healthy in time to pitch in winter ball. He will likely head back to Low-A to open the 2020 season to knock off rust before an assignment to High-A.

Luke Maile - 60-Day IL - Finger

7/23 11:43 AM EST - The Pirates placed Maile (finger) on the 60-day injured list Thursday. Maile was ruled out for 10-to-12 weeks after undergoing surgery July 17 to repair a fractured index finger on his throwing hand, so the transaction comes as little surprise. The Pirates will proceed with Jacob Stallings and John Ryan Murphy as their two catchers on the Opening Day roster with Maile sidelined.

Hector Noesi - Out - Opt Out

7/8 6:18 PM EST - Manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Noesi has opted out of the 2020 season due to family reasons, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports. The right-hander struggled over 27.2 innings in Miami last season with an 8.46 ERA, but he nonetheless earned a spot in Pittsburgh's 60-man player pool. Noesi will instead sit out the 2020 campaign for the benefit of his family.

Pablo Reyes - Suspension - Suspension

2/19 2:10 PM EST - Reyes was dealt an 80-game suspension without pay Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. Reyes was not invited to spring training after being outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on January 16. The 26-year-old struggled to produce offensively for the Pirates in 2019, slashing .203/.274/.322 with 39 runs scored and 36 RBI throughout 157 plate appearances.

Edgar Santana - Suspension - Suspension

6/30 9:17 AM EST - The Pirates placed Santana (suspension) on the restricted list Sunday. Pittsburgh made the move shortly after it was announced Sunday that Santana had received an 80-game suspension following his positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenon. The transaction opens up an extra spot on the 40-man roster and spells an official end to the right-hander's season, as he won't be an option with the Pirates only playing 60 games in 2020. He'll serve out the final 20 games of his suspension at the start of the 2021 season.

Jameson Taillon - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/30 9:24 AM EST - Taillon (elbow), who will not pitch in the majors in 2020, will attend camp in Pittsburgh as part of his rehabilitation, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports. He'll take the spot of Edgar Santana, who was suspended for 80 games due to PED usage. The move will allow Taillon to continue working with the medical staff in Pittsburgh. In an effort to better maintain his health following a second Tommy John surgery, the righty has made several mechanical adjustments. He's shortened his arm action in his throwing motion and is keeping the ball closer to his body, moves intended to put less stress on his arm and elbow.

Felipe Vazquez - Out - Personal

11/19 1:11 PM EST - Florida prosecutors filed 21 new charges against Vazquez on Tuesday, Renatta Signorini and Rich Cholodofsky of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report. Police seized an iPhone and a MacBook Pro they say belonged to Vazquez, and a search of those devices led to the additional charges; 10 counts of child pornography, 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor and a single charge of corruption of minors. Vazquez was originally arrested in September for engaging in sexual activity with a minor and was subsequently placed on the restricted list by MLB. He is being held without bail.

Pirates Expected Lineup

SP - JT Brubaker

1. Adam Frazier

2. Kevin Newman

3. Josh Bell

4. Colin Moran

5. Bryan Reynolds

6. Gregory Polanco

7. Phillip Evans

8. Jacob Stallings

9. Jarrod Dyson

Twins Expected Lineup

SP - Kenta Maeda

1. Max Kepler

2. Jorge Polanco

3. Nelson Cruz

4. Josh Donaldson

5. Eddie Rosario

6. Miguel Sano

7. Mitch Garver

8. Luis Arraez

9. Byron Buxton

Top Picks From Each Team

Nelson Cruz, Twins: Cruz has been one of the hottest bats in the American League this season, and he went 1-for-3 during Wednesday's contest. The slugger is hitting .391 with a 1.092 OPS this season, and he is also riding a six-game hitting streak.

Erik Gonzalez, Pirates: There's not a lot to choose from in the Pirates lineup, but Gonzalez might be a safe bet for production. He went 1-for-3 during Wednesday's loss and is hitting a decent .261 so far in 2020.

Captaincy Options

1. Nelson Cruz
2. Max Kepler
3. Miguel Sano
4. Kenta Maeda

Dream11 Team

P – Kenta Maeda

C – John Ryan Murphy

IF – Josh Bell

IF – Erik Gonzalez

IF – Miguel Sano

OF – Max Kepler (VC)

OF – Nelson Cruz (C)

OF – Byron Buxton

OF – Eddie Rosario