CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jeremy Hellickson, one of the Phillies’ wintertime pitching additions, was named the team’s opening day starter by manager Pete Mackanin on Wednesday.
Hellickson will get the ball on April 4 in Cincinnati against the Reds. The right-hander’s first opening day start will come four days before his 29th birthday.
“It’s definitely a huge honor,” he said. “I’ve been a part of five opening days now and just the atmosphere, standing on the line, seeing everything, how opening day goes down, you kind of just think, ‘Hopefully I can pitch one of these games some time in my career.’ It’s exciting, that’s for sure.”
Hellickson will be followed in the rotation by Aaron Nola and Charlie Morton. Barring something unforeseen, Jerad Eickhoff will fill one of the remaining two slots in the rotation. He was slowed by a fractured thumb early in camp but got his pitch count up to 74 in a start Tuesday. Vince Velasquez and Adam Morgan are still battling for the final spot.
The team had considered using a six-man rotation, but Mackanin indicated that would not happen.
“I highly doubt we go to a six-man rotation because, especially in the National League with only four men on the bench, with one being a catcher and Ryan Howard being limited with how you can use him,” Mackanin said. “In the National League, if you pinch-hit in the fifth inning, that leaves three guys on the bench and two are limited, so we can’t afford to do that. We’d like to do it. I mean, I’d like to have a six-man rotation, but it’s just not practical in the National League.”
By using Hellickson in the first game of the season, the Phillies can start homegrown right-hander Nola in the home opener on April 11 against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park. That figured prominently in the Phillies’ decision-making.
“We’d kind of like Nola to open up at home,” Mackanin said. “That’s the main thing.
“Nobody is better than the next guy as far as we’re concerned. Hellickson has experience, he’s been pitching really well, so we’d like him to be the opening day starter.”
Hellickson was acquired from Arizona in November for minor-league pitcher Sam McWilliams. He went 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 27 starts for Arizona last year.
Hellickson originally came up with Tampa Bay and was the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year. He is 49-48 with a 3.94 ERA in 142 games (135 starts) in his career. He will be eligible for free agency after the season.