In what comes as welcomed, though certainly not surprising, news: Zack Wheeler has been officially named the starter for the Opening Day showdown against the Nationals in D.C.
This will be Wheeler’s second time toeing the rubber on Opening Day. He started in last year’s opener, allowing 5 hits through 6 scoreless innings against Atlanta. As the Phillies lost that contest, he’ll be looking to pick up his first Opening Day victory. Per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that sets up Cristopher Sánchez to start the home opener on March 31 against Colorado, although that has not yet been made official.