Tigers manager Brad Ausmus named David Price his Opening Day starter, ending Justin Verlander's streak of seven consecutive Opening Day starts, per the team's official website.
This will be Price's fourth Opening Day start, and his first with the Tigers. He has a 3.54 ERA through 20 1/3 innings pitched on Opening Day.
"Looking at it from a baseball perspective, I felt this was the (right) decision and it wasn't an easy decision," Ausmus said, per the Detroit News. "Justin Verlander has been an outstanding pitcher for a long time. He has done a lot for the Tigers and this organization. But, I have to make a decision based on baseball and what is best for the 2015 Tigers."
The 29-year-old spent his entire career with Tampa Bay before being traded to Detroit in July of 2014. Price is 86-51 with a 3.21 ERA over seven MLB seasons. The left-hander went 15-12 with a 3.26 ERA and league-leading 271 strikeouts last year.