Jays choose Estrada to be opening-day starter

Coming off 20-win season, Happ likely to pitch first home game,

DUNEDIN, FLA On a starting pitching staff full of potential aces, Marco Estrada will be the first card played when the Blue Jays open the season a week from Monday in Baltimore.

Manager John Gibbons on Sunday confirmed that the 33-year-old right-hander will get the ball when the Jays finally break spring training and get the season under way against their AL East rival Orioles at Camden Yards.

After Estrada faces the Orioles in the opener, 20-game winner J.A. Happ will get the second start in Baltimore followed by Marcus Stroman, Francisco Liriano and Aaron Sanchez when the team moves on to Tampa for the second series.

With that rotation, Happ would be in line to get the home opener on April 11, a just reward for his career campaign in 2016.

With the order set, the starting staff will work accordingly for the remainder of the spring with Sanchez getting the call here against the Phillies on Monday and Estrada’s final tune-up on Tuesday in Clearwater.

Stroman’s main appearance will be to start Friday’s game against the Pirates in Montreal with Liriano following on Saturday at the Big O before the team ships off to Maryland.

With most of the lineup set, it will be interesting to see how Gibbons manages the first base situation.

One thing you can expect, however, is to see designated hitter Kendry Morales to get anywhere between 10 and 20 games there.

After playing back-to-back games in the field, Gibbons stopped just short of assuring that Devon Travis will be ready to play second base on opening day.

“He’s cleared a big hurdle,” Gibbons said.

With that in mind, you can start to pencil in a tentative batting order, with Travis on top at the leadoff spot. Follow him with Donaldson, Bautista, Morales, Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin and Kevin Pillar. After that, the “ifs” come into place, depending on who gets the start at first and in left field.