Marlins tab Wei-Yin Chen, not Jose Fernandez, to start Opening Day - MLB

The Marlins have named Wei-Yin Chen the Opening Day starter, not Jose Fernandez, per MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince. It’s a small way the Marlins are trying to limit Fernandez’s innings. Manager Don Mattingly also said that half of Fernandez’s starts will come with an extra day of rest.

Fernandez, 23, underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2014 and didn’t return until July last season. He missed another month-plus between August and September due to a biceps strain. In 11 total starts, Fernandez compiled a 2.11 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 14 walks spanning 64 2/3 innings.

Chen, 30, was the Marlins’ big splash in free agency, inking the lefty to a five-year, $80 million contract. He spent the last four years in the U.S. with the Orioles after pitching in Taiwan. In the majors, he has a career 3.72 ERA over 117 starts. This will be Chen’s first Opening Day start.

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SAN DIEGO — The scuffling San Diego Padres claimed catcher Gary Sánchez off waivers from the New York Mets.

The two-time All-Star was designated for assignment after playing in three games for the Mets. He went 1 for 6 with three strikeouts and an RBI, looking shaky at times behind the plate.

With the disappointing Padres (24-29) getting meager offensive production at catcher, they hope Sánchez can provide a boost. Austin Nola is batting .131 with three extra-base hits and a paltry .434 OPS in 39 games. His part-time platoon partner, second-stringer Brett Sullivan, is hitting .170 with four extra-base hits and a .482 OPS in 21 games since getting called up from the minors April 16.

Luis Campusano has been on the injured list since April 17 and is expected to be sidelined until around the All-Star break following left thumb surgery.

San Diego is responsible for just over $1 million in salary for Sánchez after assuming his $1.5 million, one-year contract.

The star-studded Padres have lost seven of 11 and are 3-3 on a nine-game East Coast trip. They open a three-game series at Miami.

San Diego becomes the third National League team to take a close look at the 30-year-old Sánchez this season. He spent time in the minors with San Francisco before getting released May 2 and signing a minor league contract a week later with the Mets, who were minus a couple of injured catchers at the time.

After hitting well in a short stint at Triple-A Syracuse, he was promoted to the big leagues May 19. When the Mets reinstated catcher Tomás Nido from the injured list last week, Sánchez was cut.

Sánchez’s best seasons came early in his career with the New York Yankees, where he was runner-up in 2016 AL Rookie of the Year voting and made the AL All-Star team in 2017 and 2019.

He was traded to Minnesota before the 2022 season and batted .205 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games last year.

With the Padres, Sánchez could also be a candidate for at-bats at designated hitter, where 42-year-old Nelson Cruz is batting .245 with three homers, 16 RBIs and a .670 OPS, and 37-year-old Matt Carpenter is hitting .174 with four homers, 21 RBIs and a .652 OPS.