Steady Eddie: Volquez ready for opener

JUPITER, Fla. -- Opening Day is treated like just another day by Marlins right-hander Edinson Vólquez. With his laid-back disposition, the 33-year-old takes all the fanfare and excitement in stride.
Volquez anticipates more of the same on Monday, when he takes the mound for the Marlins in their 1:05 p.m. ET opener vs. the Nationals at Nationals Park.
Before big games, Volquez is not a creature of habit. There's no pregame meal or ritual. Volquez never has trouble sleeping the night before he pitches, and he doesn't envision any problems on Sunday night.
"That's why they call me 'Steady Eddie,'" Volquez said. "Who knows? I could come in with something different every day. I just wake up and do whatever I have to do that day before I come to the ballpark."

Volquez is no stranger to the big stage. The right-hander has pitched in the World Series, with the Royals in their 2015 championship season. He's been an All-Star, and he pitched for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in March.
As for Opening Day? Volquez has been there, done that. Monday will be Volquez's fifth Opening Day start for his fourth team.
Last year, Volquez got the Game 1 nod for the Royals, on a night they were honored for winning the 2015 World Series.
Volquez's first Opening Day start came in 2011 with the Reds, and twice he got the season rolling for the Padres (2012-13).
After finishing 10-11 with a 5.37 ERA with Kansas City last season, Volquez signed a two-year, $22 million deal with Miami on Dec. 1, 2016.

Volquez's numbers were off from 2015, when he was 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA.
In the eyes of the Marlins, however, the quality of Volquez's stuff was similar the past two seasons. And his durability has never been in question. Volquez has made at least 30 starts in five straight seasons.
Volquez also was brought in to stabilize the Marlins' rotation in the absence of José Fernández, who was killed in a boating accident in late September.
Helping with Volquez's decision to join Miami is his familiarity with the Marlins. Volquez has a home in South Florida, and he pitched for manager Don Mattingly while with the Dodgers in 2013. Volquez also rejuvenated his career with the Pirates in 2014. Jim Benedict, now Miami's vice president of pitching development, was with Pittsburgh that year.
"Eddie is a lot more confident now," Mattingly said. "I had him in L.A. I see more confidence now. It seems like he had a rebirth, going to Pittsburgh and kind of bounced back there in Kansas City. You see a lot more confident Eddie now than I did in L.A."