SURPRISE, Ariz. — It’s been a little less than 12 years since Zack Greinke last took the mound for the Royals. But on April 7, he will pick up back where he started: As Kansas City’s Opening Day starter.
Manager Mike Matheny made the announcement after the Royals’ 9-5 loss to the Giants at Surprise Stadium on Wednesday. The news confirmed what was expected when Kansas City signed Greinke to a one-year deal at the beginning of Spring Training and brought him back to the organization that drafted him No. 6 overall in the 2002 Draft as an 18-year-old out of Apopka (Fla.) High School.
Greinke will kick off the 2022 season next Thursday against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT. At 38 years, 168 days old on Opening Day, Greinke will be the oldest Opening Day starting pitcher in Royals history, surpassing 36-year-old Tim Belcher in 1998.