Manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that he expects Morton will start Opening Day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The announcement comes as little surprise, and the Rays are using Morton on a timeline that should allow him to be fully rested once the regular season begins July 24. The right-hander is scheduled to pitch in Sunday's intrasquad matchup, which should be his final outing of camp prior to the start of the season. Morton's Opening Day start will be his second in as many seasons in Tampa Bay. He finished 2019 with a career-best 2.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 240 strikeouts over 194.2 innings.