Mariners tab King Felix for 11th Opening Day start

For the 10th year in a row, Felix Hernandez will start on Opening Day for the Seattle Mariners, as the club announced Sunday that the venerable right-hander will take the mound against the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field on Thursday.

For Hernandez, who received the honor for the first time in 2007 but was usurped by Erik Bedard the following year, it'll be his 11th career Opening Day start.

Earlier this spring, a comebacker off the forearm put Hernandez's readiness for Opening Day in jeopardy, forcing him to exit his Cactus League debut early and sidelining him for several weeks. However, the soon-to-be 35-year-old declared himself ready for Thursday's season opener after tossing 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at Peoria Stadium.

"I'm happy with the work. I'm happy with my arm," Hernandez told MLB.com's Greg Johns after his outing. "So everything is fine."

Heading into the penultimate season of a seven-year, $175-million contract, Hernandez will look to rebound following a disappointing campaign in which he managed a 4.36 ERA (98 ERA+) over just 86 2/3 innings, logging just 16 starts due to shoulder inflammation and biceps tendinitis.