Alvarez will be used as an opener Saturday against the Dodgers, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

EDGE Analysis

In many ways, it's surprising that a forward-thinking manager such as Gabe Kapler took until now to embrace the opener trend. The platoon-heavy Dodgers make for an ideal candidate to test the system against, with both righty Vince Velasquez and lefty Cole Irvin available in long relief. The move guarantees that Alvarez will pitch, but it also means he'll face the toughest part of the Dodgers' order and will not get the chance for a win.