Cole will make his first start of the regular season March 29 versus the Rays, ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cole will follow Opening Day starter Justin Verlander in the rotation, with the two hurlers again giving the Astros one of baseball's best pairs of staff headliners. The move to Houston helped Cole reach his full potential in 2018, as his 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 12.4 K/9 all represented the best or second-best marks of his career.