BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pirates’ rotation is still in flux and pitching plans are still being set for next year, but one thing is certain. The first person up will be JT Brubaker.
Derek Shelton announced on the AT&T SportsNet broadcast Sunday that the 28-year-old right-hander will be the club’s opening day starter against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Thursday. The Cardinals had previously announced that Adam Wainwright will get the nod in that first game.
Brubaker said Shelton played off the announcement to him, casually asking if he wanted to throw on Thursday.