Dream11 Fantasy Baseball: Twins at Cardinals

Written by

Juan Pablo Aravena

Published on September 8, 2020

Minnesota Twins (26-17) at St. Louis Cardinals (17-16)

Tuesday, September 8th, 3:15 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Jose Berrios (3-3, 4.29 ERA) vs RHP Carlos Martinez (0-1, 14.73 ERA)

Game Preview

Two contending teams will collide at Busch Stadium and, even though the Twins have the better record, it wouldn't be wise to count out the Cardinals – they are on the rise and could pose a tough matchup for Minnesota. The pitching matchup will be stellar here – Jose Berrios will get the nod for the Twins, while Carlos Martinez, who will make his first start since recovering from COVID-19, will get the nod for the Cardinals. Berrios seems to have the edge since he's rounding into form of late. He has given up just four runs in 17.2 innings across his last three starts, allowing a .175 batting average in that stretch.

Injuries

Minnesota Twins

Alex Avila - 10-Day IL - Back

9/5 1:31 PM EST - Avila was placed on the 10-day injured list with lower back tightness Saturday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Avila saw an uptick in playing time recently with Mitch Garver (side) on the injured list, but he'll now be sidelined with an injury of his own. Willians Astudillo was recalled in a corresponding move and should serve as the backup catcher behind Ryan Jeffers while Avila recovers.

Akil Baddoo - Out - Elbow

5/25 1:32 PM EST - Baddoo will have reconstructive elbow surgery and the hope

Minnesota Twins (26-17) at St. Louis Cardinals (17-16)

Tuesday, September 8th, 3:15 PM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Jose Berrios (3-3, 4.29 ERA) vs RHP Carlos Martinez (0-1, 14.73 ERA)

Game Preview

Injuries

Minnesota Twins

Alex Avila - 10-Day IL - Back

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 - 60-Day IL - Biceps

9/5 10:18 PM EST - Bailey (biceps) has started throwing, manager Rocco Baldelli told the St. Paul Pioneer press. Bailey made just one start this season and then was shut down due to right biceps tendinitis. He then started throwing again in early August before having another setback. It sounds like he's making progress, but it's not clear if he'll be able to return this season.

Nelson Cruz - Day-To-Day - Hip

9/7 9:28 AM EST - Cruz (hip) remains on the bench for Monday's game against the Tigers. The hip tightness that caused Cruz to be scratched from the lineup Sunday was considered mild, but it will wind up costing him at least two games. Brent Rooker will bat third as the designated hitter in his place.

Mitch Garver - 10-Day IL - Side

8/31 2:41 PM EST - Garver (right intercostal strain) isn't close to returning, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The Twins announced late last week that Garver wasn't going to come off the 10-day IL when eligible and it doesn't sound like he's made any significant progress since. Ryan Jeffers and Alex Avila will continue to split catching duties with Garver out.

Nick Gordon - Out - Not Injury Related

8/25 3:18 PM EST - Gordon (illness) cleared COVID-19 protocols Tuesday and will begin a rehab assignment at the team's spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Gordon tested positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of July, but he'll finally be able to resume activity. It's unclear what shape the 24-year-old is in or whether he'll be available as depth for the Twins at some point in 2020, but Minnesota will forgo adding him to its 60-man player pool until assessing him at Fort Myers.

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.

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.

Max Kepler - 10-Day IL - Groin

9/4 8:59 AM EST - Kepler was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left adductor strain Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. Kepler left Wednesday's game against the White Sox with the injury, which was initially referred to as merely groin tightness. The issue is evidently worse than that, and he'll have to miss at least 10 days, though he's reportedly not expect to miss any more than the minimum. Brent Rooker was called up to take his place on the roster, though it may be Jake Cave who primarily benefits from the open spot in right field.

Jake Odorizzi - 10-Day IL - Abdomen

9/5 10:14 PM EST - Odorizzi (abdomen) threw about 60 pitches at Minnesota's alternative training site in St. Paul on Saturday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "Physically, he came out in a very good place. That was encouraging," manager Rocco Baldelli said. Baldelli mentioned that Odorizzi will have another throwing session before the Twins decide on any timetable for his return. Odorizzi suffered an abdominal bruise after getting hit by a line drive in his Aug. 22 start and was subsequently placed on the injured list.

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.

St. Louis Cardinals

John Brebbia - 60-Day IL - Elbow

6/28 12:23 PM EST - Brebbia (elbow) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. It was announced this week that he 30-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early June, so his removal from the 40-man roster was only a matter of time. Brebbia will miss all of the 60 games in 2020 but could return during midseason 2021 if all goes well in his recovery.

Dexter Fowler - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

9/2 1:41 PM EST - Fowler's placement on the COVID-19 injured list is due to the fact that he's taking a medication which compromises his immune system, placing him at heightened risk if he contracts coronavirus, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Fowler has reportedly taken the same medication for a stomach issue in the past, but the medical realities that come with playing baseball during a pandemic will force him to be extra careful this time around. He's expected to be sidelined for at least a couple weeks but should have a shot to return before the end of the season. Some combination of Harrison Bader, Tyler O'Neill and Lane Thomas should see increased playing time in the outfield during his absence.

Jordan Hicks - Out - Opt Out

7/20 6:35 AM EST - The Cardinals placed Hicks (elbow) on the restricted list last week after he informed the team that he was opting out of the 2020 season. The transaction removes Hicks from the Cardinals' 40-man roster, giving the team some more flexibility before it begins its season July 24. Per Mark Saxon of The Athletic, Hicks' choice to skip out on the 2020 season wasn't totally motivated by concerns about the health risks he may have faced pitching amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a Type 1 diabetic. Instead, the 23-year-old disclosed that he recently dealt with inflammation during his throwing program as he worked back from his June 2019 Tommy John procedure. The extra time off to rest should allow Hicks to report at full health for 2021 spring training, at which point he could re-emerge as the Cardinals' top closing candidate.

Kwang-Hyun Kim - 10-Day IL - Chest

9/6 9:21 PM EST - Kim (chest/kidney) returned to St. Louis on Sunday and will be evaluated Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. A kidney ailment landed Kim in the hospital and on the 10-day injured list Saturday, but he was reportedly already feeling better Sunday and was back home. The evaluation he'll undergo Monday will help determine when he can resume baseball activities at Busch Stadium, and the team is optimistic he'll be able to return to the active roster once he's no longer on the blood thinners he's currently taking. "Medically, if he's in a controlled setting, he can continue to work out, play catch, throw bullpens, keep his arm strength up," manager Mike Shildt said. "And when he gets to a point where he feels like he can compete and [not be] vulnerable for contact, he'll get back to being with us."

Carlos Martinez - Covid-19 - Not Injury Related

9/6 9:11 PM EST - Martinez (illness) will be activated from the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday and start the first game of that day's doubleheader against the Twins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. This had been the likely scenario since late in the week, but manager Mike Shildt confirmed it before Sunday's game. The outing will mark Martinez's first start since July 29, which also came against the Twins. The Cardinals subsequently suffered a coronavirus outbreak that paused their season for 17 days, with Martinez one of the infected players. The right-hander has been building his arm up at the team's alternate training site in Springfield since gaining clearance to resume baseball activities, and Shildt reported Sunday that Martinez had a pitch count "in the 50s" during his live batting practice session Wednesday.

Miles Mikolas - 60-Day IL - Forearm

8/11 3:11 PM EST - Mikolas (forearm) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The move won't have any effect on Mikolas' return timeline, as he's already been ruled out for the year due to surgery on his right flexor tendon. The move creates a spot on the 40-man roster for the Cardinals to add a player once their season eventually resumes following their COVID-19 outbreak.

Yadier Molina - Day-To-Day - Elbow

9/7 4:17 PM EST - Manger Mike Shildt is confident Molina (elbow) will be back in the lineup Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Molina was removed from Monday's game as a precaution after not being able to fully extend his left arm. However, he was receiving treatment for the injury and it appears likely he will be available to return Tuesday.

Andrew Morales - Out - Shoulder

2/25 8:23 AM EST - Morales (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Morales was diagnosed with right shoulder discomfort following his spring debut Sunday versus the Nationals, during which he was touched up for three runs on three hits while recording only one out. The extent of Morales' injury isn't fully known, but the fact that he needs an MRI suggests his setback could be more than a day-to-day concern.

Ricardo Sanchez - 60-Day IL - Elbow

8/31 2:05 PM EST - Sanchez (left elbow pain) was transferred to the 45-day injured list Monday. Sanchez gave up four earned runs on five hits and five walks in 5.1 innings (three appearances) before landing on the IL over the weekend. This move ends his 2020 season and it's unclear if Sanchez will be able to avoid surgery on his throwing elbow.

Kodi Whitley - Covid-19 - Elbow

9/2 11:48 PM EST - Whitley (elbow) has resumed playing catch at the Cardinals' alternate training site in Springfield, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. The right-hander began experiencing elbow discomfort during his catch sessions in late August while trying to build his arm back up following a COVID-19 infection. Whitley subsequently underwent evaluation, and manager Mike Shildt confirmed Wednesday "everything checked out positive structurally, and he's back to felling unrestricted". However, the 25-year-old remains without a firm timeline for return and is naturally running out of time with less than four weeks to go in the regular season.