(AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks lineup on Friday’s opening day included Christian Walker as the team’s designated hitter, just days after he was excluded from the exhibition games in Los Angeles due to a groin injury.
Manager Torey Lovullo keeps him on the defensive by making him the DH. Jake Lamb will play at first base.
There was little surprise or omission in the first lineup of the 2020 regular season, a welcome sight after the team went idle due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first launch is at 6:10 pm from Petco Park in 98.7 FM Arizona Sports Station.
Here is the complete lineup:
2B Ketel Mars
LF David Peralta
CF Starling Mars
3B Eduardo Escobar
DH Christian Walker
RF Kole Calhoun
C Carson Kelly
1B Jake Lamb
SS Nick Ahmed
(P Madison Bumgarner)
Mars, who comes in fourth in the National League MVP vote, will hit the lead despite scoring 32 home runs and driving in 92 runs in 2019. Still, second full-time baseman was the starting hitter for the D-backs in 27 games last season, hitting .347 in such circumstances.
Starting pitcher Chris Paddack, a right-hander, will be on the Padres mound. Lovullo arranged the first four batters in the lineup so that three of Paddack’s first four faced batters are likely to hit from the left-handed hitter’s box (Ketel Marte and Escobar are trade hitters).
Arizona was 11-8 against the Padres in 2019.
Tonight’s game will also air on Fox Sports Arizona.
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