May he stick

Trevor May will
start the home opener.

Well, it took a suspension and an injury, but Trevor May winds up with a berth in the April starting rotation,

How long it lasts probably doesn't depend on him as much as it does on other people, specifically Mike Pelfrey.

The diagnosis on Ricky Nolasco's elbow is a mild inflammation that will presumably clear in the 15 days he'll spend on the disabled list, which is already down to 13. May figures to get two starts in that period. So will Pelfrey, who gets the ball today against the White Sox.

My preference should be obvious. May might have a future. Pelfrey doesn't. I'd much rather see May get a third start, and a fourth, and a fifth, and so on,

But management has twice made its preference known. Pelfrey ranks ahead of May. It seems likely that Pelfrey will have to fall on his face for May to remain once Nolasco is pronounced sound once more. Pelfrey is fully capable of that.

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Nolasco had been slated to start the home opener. May will slide into his slot and pitch Monday before the full house at Target Field.

I find that noteworthy. Ron Gardenhire and Tom Kelly, I'm quite sure, would have shuffled the rotation to get a veteran into the opener. Their stated philosophy was that an inexperienced pitcher would be more susceptible to nerves.

It wouldn't have been that difficult for Paul Molitor to start May today or (more likely) Sunday and push Phil Hughes back to Monday. He chose instead to keep Hughes (and Pelfrey) on schedule.