This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy Baseball series.
Houston Astros (6-6) at Oakland Athletics (9-4)
Sunday, August 9th, 4:10 PM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Cristian Javier (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs LHP Jesus Luzardo (0-0, 2.31 ERA)
Game Preview
The pitching matchup in this contest will feature two promising arms, as Cristian Javier will get the nod for the Astros while Jesus Luzardo will do it for the Athletics. Javier picked up his first MLB win Tuesday at Arizona and has 11 strikeouts through three appearances (two starts) this season, while Luzardo tossed five scoreless innings in his first MLB start in a win over the Rangers. This will be the first time any of the Oakland hitters will face Javier, but Luzardo has already found success against the Astros, as Houston's hitters have gone 1-for-7 against the young lefty. The only current Houston player that connected a hit against Luzardo was Martin Maldonado, who notched a solo homer off the talented prospect.
Injuries
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
8/6 1:42 PM EST - Alvarez (undisclosed) took batting practice and did some running Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Alvarez is slowly ramping up after missing all of summer camp for undisclosed reasons. The 23-year-old slugger was originally hoping to return next week, though it's unclear if that's still the plan after manager Dusty Baker said "the cavalry's a ways off." Kyle Tucker should continue to see time at DH and in the outfield in Alvarez's absence.
Rogelio Armenteros - 10-Day IL - Elbow
Houston Astros (6-6) at Oakland Athletics (9-4)
Sunday, August 9th, 4:10 PM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Cristian Javier (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs LHP Jesus Luzardo (0-0, 2.31 ERA)
Game Preview
The pitching matchup in this contest will feature two promising arms, as Cristian Javier will get the nod for the Astros while Jesus Luzardo will do it for the Athletics. Javier picked up his first MLB win Tuesday at Arizona and has 11 strikeouts through three appearances (two starts) this season, while Luzardo tossed five scoreless innings in his first MLB start in a win over the Rangers. This will be the first time any of the Oakland hitters will face Javier, but Luzardo has already found success against the Astros, as Houston's hitters have gone 1-for-7 against the young lefty. The only current Houston player that connected a hit against Luzardo was Martin Maldonado, who notched a solo homer off the talented prospect.
Injuries
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
8/6 1:42 PM EST - Alvarez (undisclosed) took batting practice and did some running Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Alvarez is slowly ramping up after missing all of summer camp for undisclosed reasons. The 23-year-old slugger was originally hoping to return next week, though it's unclear if that's still the plan after manager Dusty Baker said "the cavalry's a ways off." Kyle Tucker should continue to see time at DH and in the outfield in Alvarez's absence.
Rogelio Armenteros - 10-Day IL - Elbow
7/23 11:16 AM EST - Armenteros (elbow) was placed on the 10-day IL on Thursday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. This was expected, as Armenteros is still rehabbing from March elbow surgery. If all goes well, he could be cleared to pitch before the end of the season.
Joe Biagini - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
7/28 2:55 PM EST - Biagini hit the injured list with shoulder soreness Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Biagini allowed a run on two hits while recording just two outs in his lone appearance of the season Sunday against Seattle. It's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Andre Scrubb was called up to take his place in the bullpen.
Chris Devenski - 10-Day IL - Arm
8/1 3:38 PM EST - Devenski (arm) landed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Devenski has pitched twice this season, allowing three runs in two innings of work. He's yet to be diagnosed with anything other than arm soreness, but it's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Carlos Sanabria was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.
Aledmys Diaz - 10-Day IL - Groin
7/25 4:52 PM EST - Diaz said Saturday that his groin strain is between Grade 1 and Grade 2, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Diaz's left Friday's game against the Mariners with the injury and landed on the injured list Saturday. It's not exactly clear when he's expected to return, but it sounds as though he could miss a few weeks, which would represent a significant portion of the shortened season. With Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed) still weeks away from game action, the Astros will have to figure out what to do at designated hitter against lefties, which could involve some combination of Kyle Tucker, Abraham Toro or Taylor Jones.
Kent Emanuel - Out - Suspension
8/6 3:24 PM EST - Emanuel (elbow) was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. The suspension will keep Emanuel sidelined for the remainder of the abbreviated 2020 season and into the 2021 campaign. The lefty has yet to appear in a big-league game; he posted a 3.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 81:23 K:BB across 101.2 innings with Triple-A round Rock in 2019.
Francis Martes - Suspension - Suspension
2/17 2:35 PM EST - Martes was hit with a year-long suspension Monday after a second failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Martes picked up an 80-game suspension at the start of last season after testing positive for Clomiphene in March. After testing positive for Boldenone this time around, he'll miss a full 162 games. His stock will be quite low when he's eligible to return in 2021, as a combination of failed drug tests and Tommy John surgery will have conspired to limit him to just 25 total innings from 2018 to 2020.
Zack Matthews - Out - Elbow
6/19 6:35 PM EST - Matthews (elbow) has signed a contract with the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Matthews, who possesses a 98 MPH fastball, probably would have been drafted but underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. He pitched in four games before undergoing the surgery. The right-hander pitched out of Oklahoma's bullpen over his first two seasons with the Sooners, striking out 43 over 33.2 innings.
Roberto Osuna - 10-Day IL - Elbow
8/4 11:11 AM EST - Osuna's (elbow) initial diagnosis is that he needs Tommy John surgery, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports. He is getting a second opinion. Things seemed to be trending in this direction for Osuna, given some quotes earlier in the day from manager Dusty Baker. Even if he does not undergo the procedure in the imminent future, he won't be pitching in games for the Astros anytime soon, so he is a cut in most redraft leagues. Ryan Pressly is the strong favorite to become the Astros' closer going forward. He has the upside to finish the season as a top-10 closer if he holds the role. If Osuna were to get Tommy John surgery soon, he would not be a lock to return during the 2021 season, especially since he previously required the procedure as an 18-year-old.
Brad Peacock - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
7/28 2:25 PM EST - Peacock (shoulder) is making progress and has been throwing off flat ground, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Peacock has been dealing with a sore shoulder, a potentially worrisome injury given that he also dealt with shoulder troubles last season. While it's certainly a positive that he's making progress, his expected return date is not yet clear.
Cionel Perez - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
7/24 11:19 AM EST - Perez (undisclosed) was cleared to participate in baseball activities Friday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. The young southpaw was placed on the injured list with an unspecified reason July 13, but he'll now head to the Astros' alternate training site to resume workouts. Perez could be a long relief option at some point this season for Houston, but it's unclear when he'll be game ready.
Austin Pruitt - 60-Day IL - Elbow
8/7 6:58 AM EST - Pruitt (elbow) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. The 30-year-old landed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation at the start of the season and was shut down from throwing shortly thereafter. It remains unclear where Pruitt stands in his recovery, but he won't be seeing game action until at least September.
Joe Smith - Out - Personal
7/15 6:15 AM EST - The Astros placed Smith (personal) on the restricted list Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Smith has yet to report to summer camp while tending to a personal matter, and the 36-year-old is apparently still weighing whether or not he even wants to play in 2020 due to concerns about the health and safety of his family. The Astros' decision to place Smith on the restricted list opens up a spot on the 40-man roster while the team waits for him to decide on his status for the season.
Peter Solomon - Out - Elbow
7/25 1:29 PM EST - Solomon is recovering from Tommy John surgery, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reports. He suffered the injury in April and will be out until late in the 2020 season, at the earliest. Solomon, a fourth-round pick in 2017, was a promising starting pitching prospect but will be 24 years old when he is back pitching in games and has yet to pitch above High-A.
George Springer - Day-To-Day - Wrist
8/8 10:28 AM EST - Springer (wrist) isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Athletics. Springer received encouraging news Friday after his MRI revealed no fracture, but he'll sit out again Saturday. Myles Straw will start in center field and bat eighth.
Jose Urquidy - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
8/6 1:34 PM EST - Urquidy (undisclosed) threw off a mound Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Urquidy is still building up his arm after missing the entirety of summer camp for undisclosed reasons. While this is a step in the right direction for the right-hander, manager Dusty Baker noted his return is not imminent. "The cavalry's a ways off," said the skipper, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Justin Verlander - 10-Day IL - Forearm
8/8 10:46 AM EST - Verlander (forearm) isn't progressing as quickly as he'd like to, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. Verlander was shut down with a forearm strain after making just one start this season, though he denied initial reports that he'd been ruled out for the year. This latest report doesn't seem to indicate a setback, as it only relates Verlander's recovery to his own aspirations. Manager Dusty Baker added, "He wanted to pitch yesterday." At the very least, it indicates that Verlander isn't making a miraculous recovery, and his chances of playing again this season remain up in the air.
Forrest Whitley - Out - Arm
8/5 5:11 AM EST - Whitley (arm) will be seen by a doctor before the Astros map out their next move, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Whitley was shut down last week with arm soreness, and the Astros want to take a measured approach with their top pitching prospect. The right-hander has dealt with injuries since 2018.
Oakland Athletics
Dean Kiekhefer - Out - Undisclosed
3/3 3:34 PM EST - Kiekhefer was sent to minor-league spring training Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports. Kiekhefer appeared in four games for the Athletics in 2018, although he got lit up for four runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings of work. He figures to start the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas.
A.J. Puk - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
8/5 3:15 PM EST - Puk (shoulder) is throwing from 75 feet, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. Puk, who has been sidelined all season with a shoulder strain, is reportedly close to resuming mound work. While this is encouraging news, the left-hander still has a ways to go in his recovery. If Puk is able to return this season, it will likely be in a relief role.
Jordan Weems - 10-Day IL - Lat
8/4 12:15 PM EST - Weems was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right lat, retroactive to Aug. 1. Weems was effective in two relief innings Friday, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two. However, he apparently suffered an injury around that time that will sideline him for several games. Right-hander James Kaprielian was promoted to the 30-man roster to take Weems' place. A timetable for Weems' return hasn't been announced.
Athletics Expected Lineup
SP - Jesus Luzardo
3. Matt Chapman
4. Matt Olson
5. Mark Canha
6. Khris Davis
8. Sean Murphy
9. Tony Kemp
Astros Expected Lineup
SP - Cristian Javier
2. Jose Altuve
3. Alex Bregman
5. Yuli Gurriel
7. Josh Reddick
9. Kyle Tucker
Top Picks From Each Team
Ramon Laureano, Athletics: Laureano is hitting .292 with three homers and 10 RBI this season. He has been able to stand out in a lineup filled with consistent hitters, and he ranks second in the team in long balls – only trailing Matt Olson, who has gone yard four times but hitting just .170 in 47 at-bats.
Carlos Correa, Astros: Correa enters this matchup in a six-game hitting streak, and he has been one of the top hitters in the Astros lineup alongside George Springer. He is an excellent play ahead of this contest, as he's hitting .373 with two homers, six RBI and five runs scored in 2020.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Jesus Luzardo
C – Martin Maldonado
IF – Carlos Correa (VC)
IF – Matt Chapman
IF – Matt Olson
IF – Franklin Barreto
OF – Ramon Laureano (C)
OF – George Springer
OF – Robbie Grossman
