CINCINNATI -- To further indoctrinate himself into Cincinnati culture, Rookie Davis visited Skyline Chili for the first time this week. On Thursday afternoon, the rookie right-hander is expected to make his first major-league start against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park.
Davis, 23, pitched through a groin issue last season with Double-A Pensacola, where he posted a 2.94 ERA while going 10-3 in 19 starts. He struggled at Triple-A, albeit a limited sample size of only five appearances. But, he showed enough in spring training, including a significant spike in velocity, to keep him out front in a hotly contested battle for the final two spots in the rotation.