This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy Baseball series.
San Diego Padres (3-1) at San Francisco Giants (2-2)
Tuesday, July 28th, 9:45 PM ET
Projected Starters
RHP Zach Davies (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Padres have been one of the most convincing teams in the first few games of the 2020 MLB season and have jumped to a 3-1 record early on, while the Giants surprisingly stole two of four in their opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres offense has looked dangerous, as they enter this game averaging 5.00 runs per game – the fourth-best mark in the NL thus far. The pitching matchup will feature two righties in Jeff Samardzija for the Giants and Zach Davies for the Padres. Davies had a 3.55 ERA in 31 starts last season, while Samardzija has a 9-4 record with a 3.58 ERA in 21 career appearances against San Diego. He posted a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts in 2019.
Injuries
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
San Diego Padres (3-1) at San Francisco Giants (2-2)
Tuesday, July 28th, 9:45 PM ET
Projected Starters
RHP Zach Davies (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Padres have been one of the most convincing teams in the first few games of the 2020 MLB season and have jumped to a 3-1 record early on, while the Giants surprisingly stole two of four in their opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres offense has looked dangerous, as they enter this game averaging 5.00 runs per game – the fourth-best mark in the NL thus far. The pitching matchup will feature two righties in Jeff Samardzija for the Giants and Zach Davies for the Padres. Davies had a 3.55 ERA in 31 starts last season, while Samardzija has a 9-4 record with a 3.58 ERA in 21 career appearances against San Diego. He posted a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts in 2019.
Injuries
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 - Day-To-Day - Illness
7/27 11:55 AM EST - Hosmer was scratched from Monday's lineup with a non-COVID-19 illness, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Hosmer was initially slated to start at first base and bat fifth in Monday's series finale against the Diamondbacks, but he'll be scratched for the second time in three games with a non-COVID-19 illness. Wil Myers will take Hosmer's place at first base, batting sixth.
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 - 10-Day IL - Elbow
7/22 11:56 PM EST - Wingenter (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 20) on Wednesday. Wingenter underwent Tommy John surgery July 17, so his move to the injured list was inevitable. The right-hander is expected to be out until the 2022 season.
San Francisco Giants
Tyler Beede - 60-Day IL - Elbow
6/29 12:51 PM EST - The Giants placed Beede (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. The transaction is merely procedural, as Beede has already been ruled out for the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. His move to the 60-day IL opens up an extra spot on the 40-man roster for the Giants.
Brandon Belt - 10-Day IL - Achilles
7/25 12:19 PM EST - Belt (Achilles) is expected to return from the injured list Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. Belt has been battling an Achilles injury since early in camp. His placement on the injured list was backdated to July 20, so he'll be eligible to return a week into the season.
Hunter Bishop - Out - Illness
6/29 12:20 PM EST - Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Monday that Bishop has tested positive for COVID-19, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports. According to Zaidi, Bishop has only shown mild symptoms of COVID-19 and his conditioning is improving, but the positive test was enough to keep him out of the mix for the Giants' initial 60-man roster pool. Since the Giants haven't yet filled out all 60 spots, Bishop could be added to the pool at a later date once he's fully cleared of the coronavirus. The 2019 first-round pick batted .229 with five home runs and eight steals in 32 games between two of the Giants' rookie-level affiliates in his first year of professional ball.
Trevor Cahill - Out - Finger
7/20 4:50 PM EST - Cahill (finger) will likely not be available for Opening Day, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Manager Gabe Kapler said both Cahill and Jarlin Garcia (undisclosed) will likely be unavailable for the Giants' opener Thursday against the Dodgers. Cahill's fingernail issue has prevented him from throwing as of late. The 32-year-old was expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, but Logan Webb now emerges as the leading candidate to serve as the No. 5 starter for San Francisco to begin the 2020 campaign.
Sandro Fabian - Day-To-Day - Face
8/25 7:25 PM EST - Fabian left Sunday's game at High-A San Jose after being struck by a pitch in the face, play-by-play announcer Joe Ritzo reports. Fabian was able to get up on his own and walk to a cart, though the extent of his injury is not yet known. He'll be considered day-to-day until further notice.
Jarlin Garcia - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
7/20 4:58 PM EST - Garcia (undisclosed) will likely not be available for Opening Day, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Manager Gabe Kapler expects to be without Garcia or Trevor Cahill (finger) for the Giants' season opener Thursday against the Dodgers. Garcia has been absent from the team throughout training camp, but is expected to rejoin the team soon. The 27-year-old had a strong spring and set himself up to be in the discussion as one of San Francisco's top lefty options out of the bullpen. If Garcia is forced to miss extended time to begin the season, Wandy Peralta and Conner Menez are two southpaws who are likely to experience an uptick in playing time.
Aramis Garcia - 60-Day IL - Hip
6/22 9:36 PM EST - Garcia (hip) could be ready to return by mid-to-late August, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Garcia underwent hip surgery in February that carried a 6-to-8 month recovery timeline, and he appears to be on track in his recovery. The 27-year-old could be available for a good portion of the Giants' games once play resumes, although it's unclear how much playing time he could get with Buster Posey and Tyler Heineman in the fold. Garcia appeared in just 18 major-league games last season, hitting .143/.217/.310 with five RBI and 21 strikeouts.
Evan Longoria - 10-Day IL - Oblique
7/25 11:53 AM EST - Longoria (oblique) is expected to return from the injured list Thursday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. Longoria has been dealing with a moderate right oblique strain for over a week. He's on the 10-day injured list, but the assignment was made retroactive to July 20, so he'll be eligible to return just seven days into the season. Expect him to be the Giants' everyday third baseman once healthy.
Reyes Moronta - 60-Day IL - Shoulder
6/22 7:23 PM EST - Moronta (shoulder) is throwing fastballs off a mound and could return by late August, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. Moronta underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in September, but it appears as though he's on track in his recovery. The right-hander had a 2.86 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 56 appearances last season.
Buster Posey - Out - Opt Out
7/23 2:01 PM EST - The Giants placed Posey on the restricted list July 10. The transaction is just a procedural one after Posey announced that same day that he would sit out the 2020 season, citing concerns about how playing amid a pandemic could jeopardize the health of his newborn twins. The Giants are carrying two catchers (Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly) on the Opening Day roster, but it's unclear if either of the two will act as the clear-cut No. 1 option behind the plate.
Heliot Ramos - Day-To-Day - Leg
7/18 4:29 PM EST - Ramos is receiving treatment for an infection in his leg, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, manager Gabe Kapler doesn't believe it's a serious concern, but he still didn't offer a recovery timeline for the young outfielder. Ramos was included in the team's 60-man roster pool as one of the organization's top prospects, but there's never been a high likelihood of him making his major-league debut in 2020.
Yolmer Sanchez - Day-To-Day - Back
7/23 10:41 AM EST - Sanchez (back) will open the season at the team's alternative camp site in Sacramento, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. A bout of back stiffness apparently kept Sanchez off the Opening Day roster. He'll have to prove his health before getting a shot with the big club, likely as a reserve infielder.
Austin Slater - Day-To-Day - Hip
7/25 5:24 PM EST - Slater exited Saturday's win over the Dodgers with a right hip contusion and is considered day-to-day, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The 27-year-old sustained the injury during a collision with the outfield wall. He went 0-for-1 with a run scored and three walks as the leadoff hitter prior to leaving the game. Slater hasn't been ruled out for Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers, but with a scheduled off day Monday the team could play it cautiously to give him an extra day of rest.
Chadwick Tromp - Day-To-Day - Hamstring
7/23 12:02 PM EST - Tromp is day-to-day with hamstring tightness, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. Tromp experienced tightness in his hamstring earlier in the week and is expected to miss a few days as a result. He figures to serve as catching depth once healthy.
Padres Expected Lineup
SP - Zach Davies
4. Tommy Pham
5. Eric Hosmer
6. Wil Myers
9. Josh Naylor
Giants Expected Lineup
SP - Jeff Samardzija
4. Darin Ruf
7. Jaylin Davis
Top Picks
Fernando Tatis, Padres: The young shortstop is one of the budding stars of the league and is getting hot at the plate following a slow start to the campaign. Tatis is hitting .333/.444/.600 with a 16.7 percent walk rate and a 33.3 percent strikeout rate through 18 plate appearances. He also has two doubles and one stolen base.
Mike Yastrzemski, Giants: The outfielder has been the most productive player for the Giants in the first four games of the season. He is hitting .286 with an excellent .412 on-base percentage in 17 plate appearances.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Zach Davies
C – Tyler Heineman
IF – Darin Ruf
IF – Fernando Tatis (C)
IF – Manny Machado (VC)
IF – Jurickson Profar
OF – Mike Yastrzemski
OF – Trent Grisham
OF – Wil Myers
