Lucchesi is expected to open the year in the rotation after Carlos Carrasco suffered a hamstring strain Thursday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.
Carrasco had been progressing cautiously as he dealt with elbow soreness, so Lucchesi already had a decent shot to make at least a start or two. After Carrasco threw a successful simulated game Thursday and seemed to be getting over his elbow issues, he promptly strained his hamstring during conditioning work. It's not clear how much time he's expected to miss, but given where he was in his spring buildup, it would be quite a stretch for him to be ready for his first few turns in the rotation. Lucchesi and David Peterson should now both open the year as starters, though it's possible Jordan Yamamoto beats one of them out.