Zack Greinke’s March 12 start at Camelback Ranch-Glendale was the last time he pitched to Major League hitters. Photo by Jon SooHoo/ ©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2014

By Cary Osborne

Tonight, expect close to the full Greinke.

With the Freeway Series traditionally being the last exhibition games before the start of the regular season, Dodger starting pitchers aren’t usually stretched. Zack Greinke, who gets the start in tonight’s Freeway Series opener at Dodger Stadium against the Angels, is the exception.

“That won’t be for me,” he said about the prospect of exiting tonight’s game early. “I’ve had enough time off.”

Greinke has been limited this spring by a strained right calf muscle. He said the most pitches he’s thrown thus far in the spring is 72.

“I like to be closer to throwing 100 pitches,” Greinke said. “(But) the stuff and location’s been pretty good.”

The calf muscle prevented Greinke from pushing off on the mound for a couple of weeks, but he said he’s good now. Tonight will be a better exam for him, especially considering the type of hitters he’ll see in the Angels lineup.

“It’s nice facing minor league guys because you can kind of work on stuff a lot,” Greinke said, “but with Major League guys, if you start working on stuff, you can get embarrassed. I’m ready to face (Major League) hitters and get a test.”

Greinke said the only thing that’s lacking for him right now going into the regular season is endurance. It’s a similar story to last season when he was slowed in the spring because of inflammation in his right elbow. However, he made his first regular season start on schedule.

His test for that was a start in last year’s Freeway Series, in which he pitched five innings on March 30, 2013 against the Angels.

In the last five years, Greinke is the only Dodger starter to go at least five innings in a preseason Freeway Series Game. It looks like it could happen again tonight.