Chase Anderson, who has steadily improved as a Brewer, will start opening day

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Chase Anderson was the Brewers' best pitcher last season.

PHOENIX – Right-hander Chase Anderson, who has done nothing but improve since being acquired before the 2016 season, received the ultimate honor Monday when manager Craig Counsell named him as the Milwaukee Brewers' opening day starter.

Anderson, 30, will get the ball March 29 when the Brewers open their season in San Diego. It will be his first opening assignment in five years in the majors.

"It's really an honor to set the tone, as I call it, for the season," Anderson said. "For us, as a team, we want to continue to build off last season. Getting the ball the first day means everything.

"I worked hard for this opportunity and I'm thankful they've given it to me. I'm very blessed and thankful to take the ball and lead our team in the right direction to get the season underway."

Anderson was acquired Jan. 30, 2016 in a five-player trade with Arizona that also netted infielders Aaron Hill and Isan Diaz, both since traded, for shortstop Jean Segura and minor-league pitcher Taylor Wagner. Anderson struggled for much of his first season with the Brewers, going 9-11 with a 4.39 ERA in 31 games (30 starts).

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Anderson took a huge step forward last year after reporting to camp stronger, and with added velocity. He missed six weeks with an oblique strain but otherwise was dominant, going 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts, with 133 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings and a 1.090 WHIP.

"Chase has put together, when healthy, over a year of high-quality starts," Counsell said. "This step that Chase took last year started in 2016. It probably didn't go noticed but when we talked last spring about our pitching turning the corner, we thought Chase was at the forefront of that.

"What's been fun about watching him is we've seen him get better over the last year, a little over a year."

Beyond increased velocity, Anderson worked with pitching coach Derek Johnson to develop a trustworthy cutter and more frequent use of his curveball, a pitch he had gotten away from somewhat. With his fastball and changeup, he became a true four-pitch starter, helping to keep hitters guessing.

"Chase deserves by far the most credit here, but a lot of people, from the front office to D.J., have helped form how we went about trying to help Chase get better," Counsell said.

The Brewers were so encouraged by Anderson's performance last season, they signed him to a two-year extension with club options for 2020 and 2021. The deal guaranteed Anderson a minimum of $11.75 million with a chance to go up to $31.35 million over four years.

"To get the opportunity to pitch opening day is super humbling," Anderson said. "It's something I never would have dreamed of. But I worked hard for this opportunity and I'm very thankful for it.

"I give a lot of credit to Derek Johnson for putting me in this position. I try to praise him as much as possible. I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for him. I'm trying to enjoy this. This career only lasts a short period of time. Getting an extension and the opening day nod, I'm trying to relish this moment."

Counsell said newcomer Jhoulys Chacin, who signed a two-year, free-agent deal, would start one of the other two games in San Diego. He did not name the third starter for that series because Zach Davies had yet to pitch in a minor-league game Monday to assure he had fully recovered from an oblique strain.

Davies pitched three innings with no discomfort, putting him back on track to return to Cactus League action Saturday against Colorado. That leaves it to Counsell to insert him in the opening series in San Diego or save Davies for the home opener April 2 against St. Louis, also lining him up to pitch in the next series against the Chicago Cubs.

"Everything felt sharp, body felt great; arm felt good," Davies said. "I'm ready to get back on a normal schedule. I knew it wasn't a huge deal. It was more like cramping, tightening up. Getting on top of it and getting treatment right away took care of it pretty fast."

As for Anderson getting the first start, Davies said, "It's awesome. He'll admit he kind of struggled when he started over here but he turned a huge corner in the middle of (2016) and it continued to build and build.

"He has earned it; he deserves it. I don't foresee him making any changes."

With Anderson, Davies and Chacin in the rotation, the Brewers have two spots to fill. Left-handers Brent Suter and Wade Miley have fared the best of the group of pitchers vying for those jobs, but Counsell said early off days in the schedule could allow him to go with four starters for a period.