BRADENTON, Fla. — Gerrit Cole will start opening day for the Pirates against the Red Sox in Boston April 3, manager Clint Hurdle announced today.
Jameson Taillon will start the second game of the series, and the Pirates have not determined who will start the third. Ivan Nova will start the April 7 home opener against the Atlanta Braves. The fifth starter is also undetermined.
Cole, 26, was the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. He pitched 208 innings with a 2.60 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 2015, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting, but three different injuries affected him last season.