VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Derek Lowe to start on opening day for the third straight year.

Lowe will be penciled in to pitch the team’s season opener April 2 in Milwaukee, Dodgers manager Grady Little said Tuesday. The right-hander is looking forward to redeeming himself after he gave up seven earned runs in an 11-10 loss to Atlanta in last season’s opener.

Lowe finished 16-8 with a 3.63 ERA last year.

Although Little was quick to select his opening day starter, he said he’s still working on filling out the rest of the rotation. Brad Penny and newcomers Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf are locks to be in the rotation. The fifth spot is still up for grabs.

, with Chad Billingsley, Brett Tomko, Mark Hendrickson and Hong-Chih Kuo among the candidates.

“Whoever we throw out there, every day we feel like we have a good chance to win,” Little said, adding he plans to use only four starters during the season’s first two weeks.

That was good news to Lowe.

“I think early in the season it’s good to keep getting out there every five days,” he said.