Molitor Names Santana Opening Day Starter For Twins
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WCCO) -- Opening Day is less than two weeks away for the Minnesota Twins, and Paul Molitor announced his starting pitcher when the Twins take on the Orioles.
Ervin Santana will get the start on Monday, April 4 in Baltimore. It's the first time in Santana's career he's been the Opening Day starting pitcher. Santana, after signing with the Twins as a free agent before last season, was suspended for the first 80 games after violating the league's policy for performance-enhancing drugs.
He went 7-5 in the second half of the season with a 4.0 earned run average and 82 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched.
Kyle Gibson will start the second game of the series, and Phil Hughes will start the series finale. Molitor didn't say who the final two spots in the rotation will go to. It's a battle currently between Tyler Duffey, Ricky Nolasco and Tommy Milone.
Gibson would be in line to start the Twins home opener on April 11 against the Chicago White Sox.
