Bruce Bochy: Tim Lincecum to open season in Giants' rotation
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said pitcher Tim Lincecum will open the season in the starting rotation, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.
Lincecum, 30, is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, but he has struggled in each of the last three seasons. He finished last season with a 12-9 record with a 4.74 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 155.2 innings. Lincecum was removed from the rotation last August and pitched sparingly down the stretch and only once in the playoffs.
After winning 69 games and a pair of Cy Young Awards during his first five seasons, Lincecum has won just 32 games over the last three seasons, posting a 4.76 ERA during that period.
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Bochy announced that Ryan Vogelsong and Yusmeiro Petit will open the season in the bullpen and be available to start in case of injuries or rest. Vogelsong re-signed with the team last month and Bochy told him of the decision ahead of time.
"We talked a little bit about the situation," Bochy said. "He understood it. You can't have enough depth in the rotation. This is going to be a workable situation. If somebody is a little cranky, you've got Vogelsong and Petit sitting there to help out."
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World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson will round out the rest of San Francisco's rotation entering the season.
The Giants are the reigning World Series Champions and have won three of the last five titles. They open the 2015 season on Monday, April 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- Paul Palladino
