Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has already named his Opening Day starter, announcing on Tuesday that Justin Verlander will have that honor. In Texas, the Rangers are seemingly again in some trouble with outfielder Josh Hamilton.
Ausmus told Jason Beck of MLB.com that Verlander will take the bump on Tuesday, April 5, against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park "barring something unforeseen." It will be the right-hander's eighth Opening Day start and his first since the 2014 season. He was sidelined for the first few months of 2015 with a triceps injury and David Price broke his streak of seven straight Opening Day starts.
Despite logging his worst campaign in six MLB seasons back in 2014 and then starting 2015 on the disabled list, Verlander rebounded in 20 outings last season. Although he finished 5-8, he maintained a 3.38 ERA and 1.09 WHIP including a 2.61 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in his final nine starts of the season.
Last season marked the first time since 2006 that Verlander did not throw over 200 innings, but he hopes to change that as the Tigers look to bounce back after a last-place finish in the AL Central.
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton also missed a lot of time last year due to injury. In fact, due to numerous injuries, most notably an ailing left knee, the former MVP has been limited to just 139 games over the past two seasons.
Unfortunately for Hamilton and the Rangers, that left knee is "starting to bark again after the effects of a January anti-inflammatory shot," according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"We'll hit it with treatment and see if it responds to being active every day. Hopefully it does," Hamilton told Wilson on Tuesday. "I'm not really worrying about it. I ran some bases today. It seems like the more I do on it, the better it feels."
The Rangers acquired the slugger from the Los Angeles Angels last year after controversy surrounded Hamilton's drug and alcohol relapse. Texas welcomed him back with open arms, but the 34-year-old was soon sidelined for a month due to a hamstring injury after just seven games with the team (his debut came on May 25). He then hit the disabled list again for two weeks in mid-August and again in mid-September because of that knee.
He underwent a procedure to clean up the affected area in September and underwent another at the end of October.
Depending on his health heading into spring training, the Rangers could have a competition for the starting left field job, scoop up one of the remaining MLB veterans in free agency, or use top prospect Joey Gallo out there if Hamilton needs some rest at the start of the year.
