Luis Severino entered spring training as the presumptive Opening Day starter. A slump to the finish in 2018 didn’t overshadow his previous season and a half of dominance. Plus, he had just inked a four year, $40 million extension. It was the perfect arrangement, until it wasn’t. Severino landed on the injured list before his first Grapefruit League outing, and the team suddenly needed a new game one starter.
Enter Masahiro Tanaka.
The Bombers entrusted the veteran right-hander to get their season off right, and he took the challenge seriously. “To be able to pitch the first game of baseball, it’s an honor,” he told Bryan Hoch and Peter Kerasotis.