Lopez has been confirmed as the Marlins' starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.
Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, manager Don Mattingly said Monday that Lopez and Elieser Hernandez are the only members of the Opening Day five-man rotation that will definitely be available when the Marlins return to action in Baltimore following a week-long hiatus in Baltimore. With Sandy Alcantara and Jose Urena both confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 and the status of Caleb Smith unknown, Lopez was the obvious choice to take the hill for the Marlins' first game out of the extended break. The right-hander struggled down the stretch of the 2019 season and finished with an ugly 5.09 ERA over 111.1 innings, but his 4.27 FIP and 1.24 WHIP painted a brighter picture of his overall performance. Still just 24 years old, Lopez has the ability to take a major step forward in 2020 and emerge as a reliable mid-rotation arm for the Marlins.