The Reds announced Wednesday the 29-year-old Mahle will start April 7 in the first game of the season against the Atlanta Braves. It will be the first time the Reds have opened the season on the road since 1990 when the season was delayed by a lockout. They beat the Houston Astros 8-4 in that opener and started the season 9-0.
The Reds don’t play their first home game until April 12 against the Cleveland Guardians after four games in Atlanta. The rest of the rotation has not been announced. Tony Santillan, Vladimir Gutierrez, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft have started games in the first week of Cactus League action in Arizona. The Reds were 4-2 through Wednesday
A seventh-round draft pick in 2013, Mahle made his big-league debut with the Reds in 2017. He had his best season a year ago when he was 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts. He pitched well in the 60-game 2020 season as well, making nine starts and finishing 2-2 with a 3.59 ERA.
Those seasons marked big improvements from 2018 when he was 7-9 with a 4.98 ERA in 23 starts and 2019 when he was 3-12 with a 5.14 ERA 25 starts.
“The last couple of seasons, I think I took a big step from the two previous seasons,” Mahle said. “I was just able to compete on a more consistent basis.”
Mahle made his second start of spring training Wednesday, throwing two innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out three.
Mahle will be the seventh different pitcher to start Opening Day for the Reds in the last eight seasons. Luis Castillo made his second Opening Day start a year ago after earning the start in 2019. Sonny Gray started the opener in 2020.
The other recent Opening Day starters for the Reds were: Homer Bailey (2018); Scott Feldman (2017); Raisel Iglesias (2016); and Johnny Cueto (2012-15).
Mahle will get the start in part because Castillo has a shoulder issue and will not be ready to pitch when the season begins. Manager David Bell told Mahle he would get the ball.
“I was surprised,” Mahle said, “just because Castilllo has been our guy for the last couple years and he still is.”
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