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Twins pick Odorizzi for Opening Day

Brian Blanco / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Minnesota Twins are turning to a fresh face to take the mound on Opening Day against the Baltimore Orioles.

Jake Odorizzi will make the first Opening Day start of his career less than two months after being traded to the Twins from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to multiple reports.

Odorizzi has earned it by sparkling throughout spring training, allowing only one earned run in 10 1/3 innings. With erstwhile ace Ervin Santana on the shelf with a finger injury, the choice seemed to be between Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson, young right-hander Jose Berrios, and fellow newcomer Lance Lynn. Odorizzi won out, while Phil Hughes is expected to move to the bullpen as a long reliever.

Odorizzi is coming off a mixed season in which he went 10-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 143 1/3 innings. Over his five-year tenure with the Rays, however, he developed into a consistent rotation arm, compiling a 40-37 record with a 3.82 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 639 strikeouts in 698 innings.

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