LAKELAND, Fla. — After three hours and 26 minutes of spring training baseball on Saturday afternoon, after offering reporters some insight as to how the Tigers’ roster might look come Opening Day by detailing how wide open the team’s bullpen competition remains, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said: “We’re pretty close to knowing our bullpen. … And pretty close to naming an Opening Day starter.”
Asked if he was kidding, Gardenhire said he was not.
“(Jordan) Zimmermann is going to be our Opening Day starter,” he said.
Asked if he was serious, Gardenhire said he was.
“He’s the veteran guy here,” Gardenhire said.