Manager Mike Matheny said that Lopez is in line to start Friday's Cactus League opener against the Rangers, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Lopez will get his first opportunity to stake a claim to an Opening Day rotation spot after he flitted back and forth between starting and relief duty during a mostly turbulent 2019 season. He was similarly ineffective in both capacities, posting a 6.57 ERA and .374 wOBA across 86.1 innings as a starter and a 5.79 ERA and .327 wOBA over 37.1 innings out of the bullpen. Securing a starting role would enhance Lopez's fantasy appeal, but he'll merely be an AL-only consideration until he delivers better results at the big-league level.