Rockies-Rays Opening Day starting pitchers: Freeland vs. Pepiot

TAMPA, Fla. -- While 28 teams will participate in Opening Day on Thursday, the Rays and Rockies will wait a day before getting things started on Friday.

And this one comes with an unexpected twist.

With the Rays' ace left-hander, Shane McClanahan, diagnosed with nerve irritation in his left triceps, the club turns to right-hander Ryan Pepiot for the first Opening Day start of his MLB career.

Pepiot and Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland will meet on the mound when the Rays and Rockies begin their seasons. For the Rays, it’s a unique season at their temporary home, George M. Steinbrenner Field. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. ET/2:10 MT.

Here’s a look at the matchup:

LHP Kyle Freeland

Previous Opening Days starts: 2019 at Marlins (W, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K), 2022 vs. Dodgers (L, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K) and 2024 at Diamondbacks (L, 2.1 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 1 BB, 2 K)

2024 season: 5-8, 5.24 ERA, 21 starts, 113 1/3 IP, 85 K, 26 BB

This time last spring, Freeland was beaming through an impressive Spring Training during which his velocity jumped, and his numbers were shiny. Then Freeland had the worst start of his career in the season opener at Chase Field and went on the injured list with a right elbow strain by mid-April.

Once healthy, Freeland found his stride and went 5-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts.

The strong finish gave Freeland a positive bounce into the offseason. He liked the shoulder strengthening program from the previous winter but figured that throwing less would help him not only stay healthy but avoid throwing himself into bad habits.

This spring, Freeland has added a new slider and is calling his old slider a cutter. The fastball and changeup remain key pitches as long as they play off each other.

Freeland helped pitch the Rockies to postseason appearances at the start of his career in 2017 and 2018 and earned a fourth-place finish in National League Cy Young voting the following year. He has also had strong and difficult stretches since and has emerged as a hardened leader of the pitching staff.

• Opening Day starters: Who's getting the call?

RHP Ryan Pepiot

Previous Opening Day starts: None.

2024 season: 8-8, 3.60 ERA, 26 starts, 130 IP, 142 K, 48 BB

It wasn’t the way he wanted to receive the honor of an Opening Day start, but Pepiot said he is eager to help the Rays get off to a good start, following the sobering news of McClanahan’s injury.

McClanahan, who was set to become the fourth pitcher to make at least three Opening Day starts for Tampa Bay (along with James Shields, Chris Archer and David Price), was injured during Saturday’s Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. McClanahan had been enjoying a flawless spring after rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2024 season.

Now the tone will be set by Pepiot, who was acquired in the package of a high-profile 2023 offseason trade that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers.

Pepiot, who had pitched a total of 78 1/3 career innings heading into last season, had a career-high eight victories and 142 strikeouts. He began rapidly last season by going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA and an 0.87 WHIP.

Pepiot had a well-earned reputation for an elite changeup, but he has added an improving fastball with excellent movement and velocity that tops out in the mid-90s.

“As much as anybody, Pepiot’s fastball really plays up,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We like to see guys mix all their pitches. Pepiot has a fastball that’s unique with the run it creates and the way hitters respond to it. But [his] body of work, I think we’d all sign up right now to go and repeat what he did [in 2024]. He didn’t have that many innings under his belt [in his career], and he ended up throwing a lot for us.

“You don’t replace Shane McClanahan. There’s only one of them. But we have a lot of belief and trust in Ryan Pepiot.’’