ST. PETERSBURG (SNN-TV) – The 2023 MLB season gets under way as tomorrow’s Opening Day sees the Tampa Bay Rays host the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field at 3:10pm.
The Rays are always malleable, ready to swap players when needed, so it comes as something of a surprise that they are already in Opening Day shape. With a question mark hanging over Wander Franco, the Rays have players returning off of superstar runs in the WBC in Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena. Add in Christian Bethancourt, Yandy Diaz, and a healthy Brandon Lowe, and Tampa is pretty much fighting fit.
Shane McClanahan gets the nod as the Opening Day starter for the second consecutive season, after starting 2022 like a blazing comet.
“Opening Day is a very special day for all of us. When you first get to camp, you see all the guys and you’re excited and tomorrow the real fun starts. I always think back as a kid to where it’s like, ‘Man, I wish I could do that one time,’ and to have this happen for the second time in my short career so far, it’s been really exciting and I’m really humbled by it.”
Sugar Shane is expected to by a Cy Young contender this season after coming off an All-Star campaign posting a 2.54 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched.
He’ll be opposed on the mound by Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, leading a young Detroit squad, who’s main storyline this year being that it’s the final season for former MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cabrera.
