Arroyo to start home opener

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Consider this twist of fortune. A year ago, Bronson Arroyo was placed on waivers by the pitching-poor Pirates, who apparently hoped to sneak him through and make room on their 40-man roster for Jeff Suppan. Yesterday, the pitching-rich Red Sox announced Arroyo will start their home opener.

"It's very weird the way everything has come full circle," Arroyo said after he learned from a reporter of his assignment.

Filling a role of honor, Arroyo will face the Blue Jays at Fenway Park April 9 before throngs of dignitaries in a game that traditionally rivets the region's attention. He initially was expected to start the season in the bullpen, but he joined the rotation after Byung Hyun Kim was sidelined with inflammation in the back of his pitching shoulder.

"I'm sure it's going to be an unbelievable feeling," said Arroyo, 27, last year's International League pitcher of the year with Triple A Pawtucket. "I know every game is the same in a 162-game schedule, but I'm glad [manager Terry Francona] had enough confidence to throw me out there in the game."

The Sox initially planned to push back Tim Wakefield a day, flip-flopping him with Kim, so Wakefield would start the home opener and Kim would go the previous day against the Orioles in Baltimore. Team officials wanted to ease the pressure on Kim, but they have no concern about Arroyo.

"That's my statement that he's good, he's fine, he can handle himself," Francona said.

Arroyo will follow Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Derek Lowe, and Wakefield in the rotation, although Francona indicated he also considered going with Martinez in the home opener on four days' rest. Francona opted against it because the opener in Baltimore is on a Sunday night and the home opener is on a Friday afternoon, which would have afforded Martinez a bit less than four days' rest.

"I'd love for Pedro to pitch that game," Francona said. "I just don't think that's using good sense."

Arroyo, who has never faced the Blue Jays, watched carefully yesterday as the Sox routed them, 9-4, at City of Palms Park. His start in the home opener will be his first real action since he faced the Yankees in relief in the American League Championship Series.

"I'm sure it's going to be just like the ALCS," he said. "It will probably be the most exciting game I've started in the big leagues, for sure."

As for Wakefield, who pitched four scoreless innings against the Jays, he was fine with Arroyo getting the nod.

"I think it's a great honor, but whatever's best for the team is where my spot should be," Wakefield said.

Kim improving Arroyo's tenure in the rotation could be brief if Kim proceeds as the Sox expect. Team physician Bill Morgan, who evaluated Kim yesterday, said the inflammation in the muscle behind his shoulder was "much improved." Kim will start playing catch today after fully resting his shoulder for about a week. "He won't be ready to pitch in Baltimore," Morgan said, "but he'll probably be starting to pitch off a mound, just not in a game situation." If Kim progresses well, he may be ready to enter the rotation by mid-April, Morgan said, though much will depend on how Kim's shoulder responds this week to a throwing, stretching, and strengthening program. He would go on a minor league rehab assignment to build up the stamina to start in the big leagues.

2d time not the charm The Sox kept closer Keith Foulke out of game action and allowed him to work in the bullpen for six days before he made his third outing of the exhibition season. The results seemed fine for about an inning, but when Foulke returned for a second inning against the Jays, they dinged him around for four runs on five hits and a walk. Two of the hits never left the infield. "We let him go the second inning because he wants so bad to be in midseason form," Francona said. "He's not ready to be in midseason form, but he'll be fine." . . . Manny Ramirez was a late scratch from the lineup as Francona decided to rest him. Ramirez will make the bus ride today to play the Orioles in Ft. Lauderdale . . . Pokey Reese and Mark Bellhorn, plagued with flu-like symptoms, worked out and were sent home. They are expected to return Tuesday against the Devil Rays in Fort Myers . . . Newly acquired lefthander Frank Brooks, claimed off waivers from the A's, grew up in Brooklyn, attended St. Peter's College in Jersey City, and speaks with an accent straight out of "The Sopranos." He also was a Yankees fan. "I cut all ties yesterday," he said. Brooks is scheduled to face the Orioles today . . . Ramiro Mendoza will make his spring debut tomorrow against the Dodgers in Vero Beach.

Mets take swings Curt Schilling, already whacked by Major League Baseball lawyers for his comments regarding steroids, came under criticism from Tom Glavine and Al Leiter of the New York Mets, both of whom are active in the union.

"I like Curt, but he's got a lot of opinions, sometimes bizarre," Leiter was quoted as saying in New York Newsday after a meeting with Don Fehr, executive director of the players' union. "He's an intelligent guy, but my frustration with Curt and other players like Curt is that they're never involved. What Curt is getting at is inaccurate, and he's wrong, and he doesn't know what he's talking about."

Glavine said Schilling shouldn't blame the owners for the releasing of names of players connected to the BALCO investigation. "As much as you want to blame them for everything, you can't blame them for this," Glavine said.

Schilling, through a club spokesman, said he would reserve comment until he'd read the reports.

Gordon Edes of the Globe staff contributed to this report.