Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman will start for Team USA in its much-anticipated Pool C matchup against the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic on Saturday, live on MLB.TV at 6:30 p.m. ET, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.
Stroman's assignment completes the opening-round rotation for Team USA manager Jim Leyland. The Rays' Chris Archer is set to start Team USA's tournament opener against Colombia on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, while the Royals' Danny Duffy will start Sunday against Canada. Each of the three matchups will take place on home soil for the Americans at Miami's Marlins Park.
:: 2017 World Baseball Classic ::
Stroman, who will likely be opposed by Edinson Volquez of the Dominican Republic on Saturday, finished with a 9-10 record and a 4.37 ERA for the Blue Jays in 2016, striking out 166 batters over 204 innings. He's looking forward to what should be an electric vibe in Miami.
"The crowd, the atmosphere. I love it," said Stroman. "Playing for your country, you're able to get that playoff atmosphere very early in the season. It's an honor to be here, and you need to take that pride with you into each and every game. We know what's at stake."
The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.