The Tigers will give the ball to Eduardo Rodriguez when they kick off the season Thursday in Tampa. They'll give it to Spencer Turnbull for the home opener a week later in Detroit.
That's the way it lines up, at least.
A.J. Hinch told reporters Wednesday that the order of the Tigers' rotation to start the season will be Rodriguez, Turnbull, Joey Wentz, Matthew Boyd and Matt Manning.
Boyd, who returned to Detroit on a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason, will kick off the Tigers' series against the defending world champion Astros next Monday, with Rodriguez and Manning to follow.
Which means Turnbull will get the start on Opening Day in Detroit against the Red Sox. It will be a feel-good moment for a pitcher who last took the mound for the Tigers in June of 2021, just a few weeks removed from throwing a no-hitter, before losing almost two full seasons to Tommy John.
At the time, Turnbull was in the midst of a breakout season, with a 2.88 ERA through nine starts. Now he's 30 years old and out to prove he's still got it.
However the first few weeks of the season shake out, the Tigers will place a premium on the health of their rotation after a rash of injuries forced them to use an MLB-high 17 starting pitchers last season. Two of their most improtant arms, Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, remain on the shelf.
"We’ll be very aware of where each guy is physically and competitively in the game. It’ll be shorter rather than longer, I don’t think you’re going to see a (complete game) in the first go-round," Hinch said. "17 starting pitchers was a lot last year, so being disciplined in how we roll these guys into the season for their benefit is a factor.
"I like that we have many paths to get to a win, and it’s going to be kickstarted by the starting pitcher pitching well, no matter how long he pitches."
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