Dodd is in line to open the season with Atlanta and is scheduled to start the team's fifth game of the regular season April 4 in St. Louis, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Dodd had been battling Jared Shuster for the No. 5 starter's role, but Atlanta will have room for both young arms in its season-opening rotation with the team set to skip Kyle Wright's first turn to afford him more time to get ramped back up following a shoulder injury earlier in the spring. With Wright set to be placed on the injured list, both Shuster and Dodd should be in store for at least two turns through the rotation before Atlanta decides which of the two sticks around in a starting role once Wright is healthy again. Dodd, 24, earned himself a spot with the big club by striking out 20 and walking just four over 18 Grapefruit League innings while holding opposing hitters to a .227 average.