Luzardo, who made his summer camp debut with a 30-pitch bullpen session Friday and will face hitters prior to Monday's exhibition game against the Giants, is now likely to start the season in the bullpen. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "Today was amazing. Probably the best day of 2020 for me, by far," Luzardo said after his bullpen session. "I was going crazy locked up in a room. Being able to get back out here at the Coliseum around the guys was a lot of fun."
The promising left-hander finally had a chance to get back around his teammates after being forced to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test prior to the start of summer camp. Luzardo, who'd remained in his home in South Florida during the shutdown, had to sequester in the Bay Area during his recent isolation, but he was able to work out at a local field with the aid of a net and keep his strength training up with resistance bands. Luzardo is now likely to open the season as a reliever because of the time he's lost at camp, with his rotation spot set to go to Chris Bassitt for the time being. "The experience I gained last year coming out of the bullpen, I think that's going to help me a lot, especially early in this year," Luzardo said. "I feel good right now, and I'm ready for whatever they ask me to do."