Zimmermann 'a little shocked' to land Opening Day start

Detroit Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was told early in camp that he had a good chance to start on Opening Day, but the 31-year-old was still a little surprised when manager Ron Gardenhire announced Saturday that he'd get the ball March 29 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in lieu of Michael Fulmer.

"He probably deserved it more than me," Zimmermann told Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. "I was, I guess, a little shocked. He has his days coming. He's going to start plenty of Opening Days."

Despite stumbling through a miserable 2017 campaign in which he set new career worsts in ERA (6.08), ERA+ (75), WHIP (1.55), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.34) over 160 innings, Zimmermann, a two-time All-Star, got the gig on account of his experience, Gardenhire explained.

"Zimmermann's the veteran guy here," Gardenhire told Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. "To me, he's the leader of this group and I think he should have the ball."

Fulmer, however, has undeniably been the Tigers' best starter over the past two seasons. In 2016, Fulmer took home the American League Rookie of the Year award and finished 10th in Cy Young voting, and the 25-year-old right-hander earned his first career All-Star nomination last season, authoring a 3.19 ERA over his first 17 starts before injuries derailed the second half of his campaign. Conversely, Zimmermann, who signed a five-year, $110-million contract with the Tigers ahead of the 2016 campaign, has struggled mightily in his first couple seasons with Detroit.

2016-2017

Nevertheless, barring a last-second injury, Zimmermann will become just the second pitcher in the last decade not named Justin Verlander to get the ball for the Tigers on Opening Day, joining David Price, who received the honor in 2015.

"I'm excited," Zimmermann told Woodbery. "I know it's like a holiday in Detroit, and I'm hoping to give the fans something to be excited about and get us off on the right foot."