Manager David Bell said Wednesday that Sanmartin will start the Reds' second game of the season April 8 in Atlanta, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Coming into spring training, Sanmartin was one of a handful of pitchers battling for the two open rotation spots behind Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle. The Reds then traded Gray to the Twins and acquired a replacement for him in Mike Minor, but the latter won't be ready to go for the start of the season while he recovers from a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Castillo is also set to begin the campaign on the injured list due to a shoulder issue of his own, so Sanmartin was able to claim a rotation spot without having to truly battle for the job. Whether Sanmartin maintains a starting role by the time Castillo and Minor are healthy will hinge on his performance over the first couple of weeks of the season. The 25-year-old lefty turned in an impressive 2021 campaign at Triple-A Louisville before making two solid late-season starts for the big club in which he allowed two earned runs over 11.2 innings while striking out 11 and walking two.