SoCal MLB Preview

LA Angels (0-0) at Minnesota (0-0), 4:05 pm

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Torii Hunter's debut for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim could be an emotional one. The Angels open their season Monday against the Minnesota Twins, the team on which Hunter was a star for the past decade.

In 11 seasons with the Twins, Hunter captured seven straight Gold Gloves as one of the game's best center fielders. He also made two All-Star Game appearances, batting .271 with 192 home runs and 711 RBI. Minnesota, opting to begin its youth movement sooner rather than later, opted to allow Hunter to walk as a free agent and he signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Angels.

The Twins also traded ace Johan Santana - another fixture in Minnesota - to the New York Mets for four players. The trade of Santana leaves a gaping void at the top of the Twins' rotation. For now, the No. 1 starter is free agent pickup Livan Hernandez, who will pitch Monday's opener. However, after Hernandez, a 12-year veteran, the Twins have nothing but inexperience in their rotation.

The Angels have been hit hard by injuries as their top two starters - John Lackey (strained triceps) and Kelvim Escobar (shoulder inflammation) - already have been ruled out for April and perhaps beyond. As a result, Jered Weaver will make the first Opening Day start of his career. The 25-year-old righthander went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA last season.