For Openers, Rueter Will Start

Kirk Rueter will be the opening day starter for the San Francisco Giants, according to Manager Felipe Alou.

The left-hander will pitch March 31 at San Diego, followed by right-hander Jason Schmidt.

“As long as I’m pitching once every five days,” the 32-year-old Rueter said Sunday. “It’s not like they’re naming a starting quarterback. It’s fun, but it’s one start in 33.”

The other three spots most likely will go to right-hander Livan Hernandez, left-hander Damian Moss and either Kurt Ainsworth or Ryan Jensen, both right-handers.

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Rookie Jason Davis was selected as the fifth starter in the Cleveland Indians’ rotation by Manager Eric Wedge.

The 22-year-old right-hander had a 1.93 earned-run average in 14 innings this spring. He beat out left-hander Billy Traber, a rookie with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings.

“Traber has done everything he needed to do to be on this ballclub,” Wedge said. “We just felt Davis was a little bit better.”

He’ll follow C.C. Sabathia, Jason Bere, Brian Anderson and rookie Ricardo Rodriguez in the rotation.

Traber, a former star at Loyola Marymount, will be given a chance to make the club as a reliever.

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The Tampa Bay Devil Rays assigned third baseman Chris Truby to their minor league camp as Manager Lou Piniella trimmed his roster to 40 players. Truby batted .215 with four homers and 22 runs batted in last season for Montreal and Detroit.