The San Diego Padres chose Nick Pivetta as their Opening Starter, and based on the spring this was an easy choice.
The San Diego Padres have named their Opening Day starter, and this is probably one of the easiest and most expected decisions the team will have all year long. Nick Pivetta will take the mound on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at 1:10 PM PST, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, as the Padres start their quest to return to the postseason and go on a deeper playoff run.
This truly was the only possible choice given the way the offseason played out. The Padres lost former ace Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays early in free agency, and Joe Musgrave’s struggles in spring training put him back on the injured list.
The forecast for Thursday’s game is for balmier than usual temperatures, although the 64 degree prediction is well below San Diego standards, not to mention the blazing head the Padres have been dealing with in Arizona. There’s also rain in the forecast, which could complicate Pivetta’s initial outing.
It will be interesting to see how many innings Pivetta can go given that he’s barely thrown at all this spring due to what was referred to as “arm fatigue.” Five innings feels like a real stretch right now, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Pivetta function as a de facto opener.
Pivetta was asked about the possibility of an Opening Day start earlier in spring training, and his comments almost seem quaint now given the way things have played out.
“I'm just not focused on it, to be honest with you,” Pivetta said. “Whatever happens, happens. I want to win a World Series; that's the most important thing. I believe in all my teammates. What matters is September, not early in the year.”
Early in the year does matter, though, especially with Pivetta’s lack of buildup and the fragile state of the San Diego rotation. New manager Crain Stammen will probably go to the bullpen early and often in this one, and that could apply to the entire initial series as well.
Michael King will take the ball in the second game of the series on Friday as of now, and temps for that game will top out at 40, so the Pads could be breaking out the thermals. Randy Vasquez gets the nod on Saturday, which again speaks to the San Diego rotation. This series should give us some idea of the level of bullpen usage to expect as well, not to mention whether Stammen will have a quick hook or be willing to let his starters work their way out of trouble.