Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Opening Day primer: What to know for 2022

Arizona Diamondbacks will play their first game on Opening Day 2022.

Arizona Diamondbacks begin the season at home against the San Diego Padres at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks play their first game on Thursday, April 9, 2022. The rest of the games are on Friday.

Madison Bumgarner is expected to start for Arizona for the third straight year. Yu Darvish is the other starting pitcher for San Diego. The 2020 season was delayed until July 24.

The new rule for the 2022 season is the designated hitter. It was introduced in 1973. The rule was created for Shohei Ohtani, who was the first player in MLB history to make the All-Star Game as a starting pitcher and a hitter in the same season. Ghost runner was instituted in 2020. A pitch clock is not included in this rule. There are also changes to the overshift that require four players in infield at all times.

Baseball bumped up the playoff field to 12 teams, up from 10. Six teams will qualify from each league: three division winners and three wild cards. The top-two division champions by record receive a wild-card round bye. Other teams play a best-of-three series at the higher seeds' park.

Chase Field in Phoenix is the first MLB stadium to allow sports fans to place an in-person wager. Caesars Sportsbook opened at Chase Field on September 9, 2021.

The team president Derrick Hall recently said there is no threat of the roof collapsing, but inspectors informed the Diamondbacks that a broken cable could potentially endanger fans. The team's lease at the downtown facility runs through 2027.

The Diamondbacks announced new food options for 2022 at Chase Field.

The Buffalo Chicken Sidewinder is served at Chase at Section 130.

COPPER STATE STEAKS is home to two signature items: a Cowboy Steak featuring Cheeze Whiz and the Barbecue Brisket Dip w/ Fries.

Arizona Diamondbacks will have a new hot dog named after the opposing team. The Opening Week homestand will feature the Padres Dog, a bacon-wrapped hotdog with avocado crema, queso fresco and fresh jalapeño, and the Astros Dog.

The Hatch Valley Whiskey Burger is built with ground chuck, aged cheddar, whiskey barbecue sauce, 505 flame roasted green chile and crispy onion straws on a potato bun.

Gonzalo's Grill is offering a new chicken wrap at the stadium. Black Rock Coffee, Chick-fil-A, Crèmily and Scoopwell’s Dough Bar are also new to the park this season.

The vast majority of Arizona Diamondbacks games will air on Bally Sports Arizona. The team's radio broadcasts can be heard on KTAR-AM 620 or Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Ticketmaster, the team's official ticket provider, had upper-deck tickets starting at $29 each. Lower- deck tickets were listed for as much as $225 each (before fees). Parking was available to add to your order for $20.

The 2022 MLB calendar includes Jackie Robinson Day, Lou Gehrig Day and Roberto Clemente Day. The 92nd All-Star Game is on July 19, 2022 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. There is also a Trade Deadline on August 2, and the MLB at Field of Dreams on Aug. 11.

April 15, 2022 is Jackie Robinson Day. June 2, 2018 is Lou Gehrig Day, July 19, the 92nd All-Star Game is at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, August 2 is the Trade Deadline, and August 11 is MLB at Field of Dreams.