Atlanta Braves Kick Off Spring Training With Baltimore Orioles, Felix Hernandez To Start
By Deke Lloyd
Baseball is back! The Atlanta Braves will play their first game of the spring when Felix Hernandez takes the mound against the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow in Northport.
It’s been a long time since the Atlanta Braves were last on the baseball diamond to play an actual game. All the players and fans alike will be happy to get that last memory of the Cardinals celebrating on the field as they advanced to the NLCS, sending the Braves home in heartbreaking, devastating fashion. Tomorrow’s game with the Orioles will be the first official game and start of the new season.
It was announced, by Mark Bowman of MLB.com, that Felix Hernandez will be getting the first start of the season. Hernandez is competing for the final rotation spot along with Sean Newcomb, Bryse Wilson, Kyle Wright, and Touki Toussaint. The former AL Cy Young winner will be looking to refind the form that made him great for so long in Seattle.
At the age of 33, Felix Hernandez made it very clear that is he’s not done yet, at least he thinks he isn’t. Hernandez, who has pitched with Seattle since he was 19, is hoping a change of scenery and leagues, shifting from the AL to the more pitcher-friendly NL, will be just what he needs to recapture what made him what one of the best pitchers of the last decade. Hernandez will try to emulate what Annibal Sanchez and Aaron Harang did with their short stints in Atlanta. Hernandez gets his first shot to prove he belongs on this team.
Even if Hernandez struggles, “The King” could find himself in the starting rotation when the season opens up. With Cole Hamels being sidelined with a shoulder issue, that leaves two open spots in the back of the rotation. It’s possible Wright, Wilson, or Toussaint outperform Hernandez, but it’s likely we could see King Felix get a regular-season start.
There was some good news in regards to Hamels and his shoulder. Mark Bowman reported Hamels would be reporting to camp tomorrow after missing the first two weeks to deal with his shoulder discomfort. Hamels is going to be a big piece of this Braves team all season so it’s a positive sign that he won’t be missing any more Spring Training.
The Braves and Orioles will get underway tomorrow at 1:05 P.M. in Northport. The broadcast will be available via MLB.tv. Let’s get ready for some baseball.