DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Rangers have announced that right-hander Jon Gray will start on Opening Day when the club heads to Toronto to begin the season on April 8.
This will be the third time Gray has gotten the ball for his club's season opener, as he was the Rockies' Opening Day starter in 2017 and 2018.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward's decision to give Gray the Opening Day nod comes as no surprise, as the club signed him to a four-year, $56 million deal this offseason.
Gray was always expected to front the rotation in 2022 and settle in as a No. 2 or No. 3 option in 2023, as the club looks to shore up their rotation through free agency next offseason, and awaits the arrivals of top pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Cole Winn.
Gray, 30, has spent seven years in the majors, all coming with the Colorado Rockies, who drafted him third overall out of Oklahoma in 2013.
For his career, Gray has made 152 appearances, all but one coming as a starter, with a 4.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 849 strikeouts in 829 1/3 innings.
