Marlins at Nationals 1:05 PM
Stephen Strasburg, 28, is in his eighth year as a professional baseball player, so it may seem odd that he is making a significant change going into this season. A two-time All-Star, Strasburg will pitch out of the stretch position this year even when no runners are on base.He will make the start on Monday against the Miami Marlins and fellow right-hander Edinson Volquez on Opening Day at Nationals Park.
Strasburg, the Nationals' Opening Day starter from 2012 through 2014, pitched out of the stretch during spring training after he made the decision before heading to Florida.
Strasburg said he made the change in order to help him go longer in the games and hopefully be more durable.
The right-hander won 15 of his first 16 decisions last season and was 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 starts. He went 147 2/3 innings and gave up 119 hits with 183 strikeouts and 44 walks after he signed a seven-year contract extension in May.
But Strasburg, the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, did not pitch after Sept. 7 due to a strained flexor mass. He now appears to be healthy and will be opposed Monday by Volquez, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals after last season.
The Marlins were 79-82 last season and finished third in the National League East, 15 1/2 games back of the first-place Nationals. Washington lost in the playoffs to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Strasburg is 69-41 in 156 starts with a 3.17 ERA and he became the third starting pitcher in the National League to begin a season 13-0 in 2016.
He has a 12-7 career record with a 3.51 ERA against the Marlins in 25 starts.
The spot taken by Volquez had been reserved for right-hander Jose Fernandez before his death last September in a boating accident in Florida. The first road game the Marlins played after the death of Fernandez was in Washington at the end of last season.
Max Scherzer started Opening Day the past two seasons in Washington, but he dealt with a finger problem during spring training. He is on track to face the Marlins on Thursday, though.
Last season Volquez, 33, was 10-11 with a 5.37 ERA in 34 starts with the Kansas City Royals. He allowed 217 hits in 189 1/3 innings and fanned 139 with 76 walks. In his career against the Nationals, Volquez is 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA in seven starts.
The Nationals' closer will be Blake Treinen, who made his big league debut in 2014 and has one career save.
Other candidates for the closer spot were Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover.
The Nationals may be without starting third baseman Anthony Rendon. He did not play in a spring training game since March 27 due to a calf problem.
Baker did not promise that Rendon will be ready for Opening Day, though Rendon may not have to go on the disabled list.
Pirates at Red Sox 2:05 PM
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello makes his first career Opening Day start for Boston after a stellar 2016, going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 189 strikeouts.
Porcello went 13-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 starts at home last season.
His numbers against the visitors aren't too shabby, either.
In three career starts versus the Pirates, the right-hander is 2-0 and has allowed just one earned run over 23 innings, good for a 0.39 ERA -- his lowest against any opponent.
John Jaso (3-for-14) has a homer and two RBIs opposite Porcello. David Freese (2-for-13,) and Andrew McCutchen (1-for-7) also have hits off of Porcello.
In four spring starts, Porcello went 2-0 with a 7.07 ERA (11 earned runs over 14 innings).
Like Porcello, Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole is also making his first Opening Day start. But the Pittsburgh ace's 2016 was unceremonious, going 7-10 with a 3.88 ERA and 98 strikeouts in just 21 starts while battling injury.
He was a first-time All-Star and won 19 games in 2015.
Cole went 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA (four earned runs in 10 innings) in three spring starts.
Christian Vazquez is 2-for-3, and Ramirez and Mookie Betts are both 1-for-3 with an RBI versus Cole.
Cole tossed seven two-run innings with seven strikeouts in his only career start against Boston on Sept. 18, 2014. He has never pitched at Fenway.
The Pirates are also hoping for a bounce-back year for McCutchen. The 2013 National League MVP hit just .256 with 24 homers, 79 RBIs and a career-worst 143 strikeouts in 2016.
McCutchen's name was tossed around in trade talks during the offseason. He has been moved to right field this season.
The Pirates and Red Sox last met Sept. 16-18, 2014, with Pittsburgh outscoring Boston 16-3 en route to a three-game sweep at PNC Park. Boston's last victory against the Pirates was a 4-2 decision in Pittsburgh on June 26, 2011.
This is the Pirates' first trip to Fenway since June 2005. Before that, Pittsburgh had not played in Boston since the inaugural World Series in 1903.
Freese, however, has recent World Series memories at Fenway. He was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals team lost to Boston in six games during the 2013 Fall Classic.
Freese starts the year at third base as Jung Ho Kang remains in South Korea after his DUI arrest. Kang was denied a work visa and the Pirates are uncertain if or when he will be able to return.
Rockies at Brewers 2:10 PM
The Rockies are my surprise team this season, let's see if they come out swinging and pitching.....
Guerra reached the majors late that season but was waived at the end of the year. He would ultimately be claimed by the Brewers -- the first official transaction of general manager David Stearns' tenure -- and after he finally got the call back to the majors last April, he was ready to show the baseball world what it had been missing.
Guerra went 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 20 starts, stabilizing Milwaukee's rotation and installing himself as a key cog in the Brewers' rebuilding efforts.
Guerra is on an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, as is his Colorado counterpart, Jon Gray, who started the 2016 season on the disabled list but went on to strike out 185 in 168 innings while going 10-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 19 games.
Over the offseason, he added a curveball to his mid to high-90s fastball and biting slider in the hopes of taking another step in his development.
Gray struck out 19 with only four walks in 15 1/3 innings of Cactus League work but was pulled early from his final exhibition start with a sore toe. The injury turned out to be insignificant and Gray will be ready to go Monday afternoon.
I've been thinking about it for a long time," Gray said of the season opener. "Us guys have been talking about it for a long time. We're going to get the ball rolling on what we believe is going to be a really good season. We're really confident in each other, and we know what to expect from each other."
Colorado went 1-5 against the Brewers last year and has lost two of the past three season series with Milwaukee.
Royals at Twins 4:10 PM
Minnesota hosts the Royals on Monday afternoon to open the season. The teams know each other well, and there are few changes to the starting lineups to begin the season.
The Twins' lone change is Jason Castro replacing Kurt Suzuki at catcher. Kansas City has young infielder Raul Mondesi taking over at second base, while Brandon Moss has joined the team as a designated hitter and outfielder.
With few changes on the field, many wonder what improvement is in store for the two teams.
The Twins did have important offseason changes. Derek Falvey was named the chief baseball officer to lead the front office, and Thad Levine is the new general manager.
Falvey and Levine withheld major changes to a young roster that features former top prospects like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano along with outfielders Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco, who are all 25 or younger.
Minnesota was 16th in the majors in runs scored in 2016. However, the pitching staff allowed the second-most earned runs.
Right-hander Ervin Santana was the one consistent starter, and he will start Monday against the Royals. Santana was 7-11 with a 3.38 ERA last season.
Kansas City will counter with left-hander Danny Duffy, who will be making his first Opening Day start. Duffy was 12-3 with a 3.51 ERA last season.
Minnesota, which hasn't won its season opener since 2008, lost its first nine games last year and never recovered.
