Major League Baseball’s 2023 season starts at 12:05 CDT Thursday when the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals square off at Nationals Park and the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees meet at Yankee Stadium. Thirteen more games will follow as every MLB team opens its schedule on Thursday.

It’s also Welcome Back to the Big Leagues Day for outfielder David Dahl and pitcher Trey Wingenter.

A National League All-Star for the Colorado Rockies in 2019, Dahl spent last season in the minors with two organizations. But as a non-roster invitee of the San Diego Padres, the former Oak Mountain star earned his spot on the club in spring training.

While Dahl’s most recent big-league appearance came on Aug. 1, 2021, Wingenter hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since Sept. 20, 2019, when he made his 51st appearance of the season for the San Diego Padres.

Since Tommy John surgery, Wingenter had hardly pitched before attracting the Detroit Tigers’ attention with his work in the Dominican Winter League. That got the former Bob Jones and Auburn standout a chance in spring training, and Wingenter didn’t yield a run to earn a spot in Detroit’s bullpen.

Another player with Alabama baseball roots who didn’t appear in the Majors in 2022 who’s back for 2023 is Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull. The former Alabama standout missed last season after having Tommy John surgery. Turnbull is scheduled to start Detroit’s second game of the season on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Dahl and Wingenter weren’t the only non-roster invitees from Alabama high schools and colleges to earn jobs in spring training either. Former Alabama pitcher Tommy Hunter will open his 16th MLB season in the New York Mets’ bullpen.

Major League rosters are in constant flux as teams deal with injuries and pitching needs, but it appears 18 players from Alabama high schools and colleges will be eligible to play on Thursday:

· Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft (Huntsville, UAB)

· Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa)

· Miami Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper (Auburn)

· San Diego Padres outfielder David Dahl (Oak Mountain)

· New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson (Faith Academy, Auburn)

· St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan (Enterprise, South Alabama)

· Miami Marlins pitcher Braxton Garrett (Florence)

· Chicago White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman (Benjamin Russell)

· Baltimore Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson (Morgan Academy)

· New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes (Slocomb)

· New York Mets reliever Tommy Hunter (Alabama)

· Philadelphia Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel (Lee-Huntsville, Wallace State)

· New York Mets reliever David Robertson (Paul Bryant, Alabama)

· Texas Rangers outfielder Bubba Thompson (McGill-Toolen)

· Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson (Cullman, Auburn)

· Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull (Alabama)

· Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (UAB)

· Detroit Tigers reliever Trey Wingenter (Bob Jones, Auburn)

Six other players with Alabama baseball roots are starting the 2023 season on the injured list:

· Los Angeles Angels pitcher Davis Daniel (St. James, Auburn) has a strained shoulder.

· Chicago White Sox reliever Matt Foster (Valley, Alabama) has a forearm strain.

· Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (Springville, Auburn) is recovering after Tommy John surgery.

· Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jimmy Nelson (Alabama) is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

· Washington Nationals reliever Tanner Rainey (West Alabama) is recovering after Tommy John surgery.

· Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright (Buckhorn) has a shoulder issue.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.