Padres Spring Training: First Pitcher Is Revealed

Bud Black names the first Padres pitcher to take the mound

Padres manager Bud Black shared a secret on Saturday morning. We now know who the team's opening day starter will be. The Cactus League opening day starter, that is.

Left-handed reliever Jason Lane will take the ball when the Padres play the Mariners in their annual charity game on Wednesday. Among the reasons for the decision is Lane is one of the closest guys on the staff to being game-ready.

Minor league prospect Justin Hancock is also scheduled to throw in the exhibition opener.

As for the regular season Opening Day starter, that's still up in the air. Now, this is purely speculative, but the guy who gets the ball on Saturday, March 7, which would be the fourth Cactus League game against the Giants in Scottsdale, might be the answer.

If the Padres were already setting up their regular rotation based on pitching every fifth day (and Buddy says they have things "mapped out"), the person who goes on the 7th would have his spot naturally come up on April 6th, which is the first real game of the year against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

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