Jose Urena is getting a second chance for a first impression as the Miami Marlins‘ Opening Day starter, manager Don Mattingly announced Thursday.
“I know we put this off every year, because we didn’t really know,” Mattingly told reporters. “But I think this year, right now the plan, if everything would go according to that, it would be Jose Urena, which I don’t think is a big surprise for anyone. I was willing to give that up right away.”
Urena was also the Opening Day starter last year, when he allowed a home run to the Chicago Cubs‘ Ian Happ on the first pitch of the 2018 season before taking the loss in an 8-4 defeat.
The 27-year-old would go on to finish the season 9-12 with a 3.98 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, leading the team in wins, starts and innings pitched. He was 5-0 in September with a 1.20 ERA.
“That means a lot that those guys have the faith in me, but I’m the kind of guy, that every time you’re out there, you’re trying to get outs,” Urena said Thursday. “Not just for one day.”
Who else will make up the Marlins’ rotation is still up in the air, though. Dan Straily, Wei-Yin Chen, Caleb Smith, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and Trevor Richards are among the pitchers who will be competing for four spots during spring training.
The Marlins start the regular season March 28 against the Colorado Rockies. Urena said he won’t go about things that day any differently.
“I treat it like a normal game in the season,” Urena said. “A lot of people get excited, and you get excited too. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do your job out there.”