Red Sox announce pitching rotation to begin season, Price held back until Monday
By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Red Sox have revealed their starting rotation to begin the 2019 season.
Chris Sale, fresh off signing a 5-year contract extension with the team, will get the nod on opening day against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, a decision that was announced last week.
The lefty will be followed by Nathan Eovaldi on Friday, Eduardo Rodriguez on Saturday, Rick Porcello on Sunday in the series finale in Seattle, and David Price on Monday night in Oakland.
The move to hold off on Price’s first appearance stems from an illness that the lefty dealt with during spring training. Manager Alex Cora says Price will be available out of relief in the first two games of the season.
Sale will face off against Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales on Thursday. 27-year-old Japanese lefty Yusei Kikuchi will make his U.S. debut against Eovaldi on Friday. Righty Mike Leake will take the ball for Seattle against Rodriguez on Saturday, followed by left-hander Wade LeBlanc opposite Porcello on Sunday.
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