For the second consecutive season, the Kansas City Royals will open with Danny Duffy on the mound for the first of 162 games. However, this season, Duffy’s first pitch will launch the Royals into the campaign at Kauffman Stadium.
Manager Ned Yost, on Thursday, announced that Duffy will get the baseball when the Royals host the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, March 29th. The game will start at 3:15 p.m. CT.
Royals fans, along with Duffy, will be hoping for better results than what the veteran southpaw has produced in spring training, where a 1-1 record has been paired with an ERA of 9.35, a number ballooned by Tuesday’s outing against Oakland, when Duffy gave up seven runs to the Athletics.
Last season, in 146 1/3 innings, Duffy went 9-10 with an ERA of 3.81 and 130 strikeouts. The season included a trip to the disabled list in late May for a right oblique strain.
In last year’s Opening Day start at Minnesota, Duffy pitched six innings, giving up only one run and three hits against the Twins.
In addition to the Duffy announcement, Yost said that Ian Kennedy will get the start in the Royals second game of the 2018 season, Saturday, March 31st at 6:15 against the White Sox.
Photo credit – Jamie Squire / Getty Images / Kansas City, MO