Gonzales will draw the start in Friday's Cactus League opener against the Padres and pitch at least two innings, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The veteran left-hander is slated to open the season as the No. 2 starter behind new arrival and projected staff ace Robbie Ray. Gonzales has been about as steady as they come over the last four seasons in Seattle, posting a 46-30 record, 3.88 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 99 starts over that span. Keeping the ball in the park more consistently is perhaps the one major area of Gonzales' game that could use improvement, considering he allowed a career-high 1.8 HR/9 last season across his 143.1 innings.