The Rays made one bullpen adjustment before opening the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field, replacing left-hander Garrett Cleavinger with rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins.
Hopkins joins Tampa Bay for Monday night’s Game 1 against the Guardians, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The club is back in the ALCS for the third time in franchise history after sweeping the Yankees in the Division Series.
Quick facts
- Brody Hopkins takes Garrett Cleavinger’s place on the 26-man ALCS roster.
- Cleavinger did not appear during the Rays’ three-game ALDS sweep of New York.
- Hopkins, Tampa Bay’s No. 7 prospect, offers a power fastball that can reach 100 mph along with sharp breaking pitches.
- The Rays kept 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the best-of-seven series against Cleveland.
- Only eight of Tampa Bay’s 12 pitchers were used against the Yankees.
The change gives the Rays another hard-throwing right-handed relief choice. Hopkins arrived from Triple-A Durham in September and worked six times in the regular season, allowing three runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The 23-year-old walked six and struck out seven. He had shown premium raw stuff as a Minor League starter, though his control could wander, and his move to relief sharpened the impact of his arsenal.
Tampa Bay did not otherwise alter its group after the Division Series. While many clubs add pitching depth when a postseason matchup stretches to seven games, the Rays stayed with a position-player-heavy build.
Rays ALCS roster
The pitching staff is headed by Drew Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez, with Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour, Bryan Baker, Tyler Wells, Kevin Kelly, Cam Booser, Hopkins, Cole Sulser and Steven Matz also available.
Liam Hicks and Nick Fortes are the two catchers. The infield mix includes Jonathan Aranda, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Junior Caminero, Ben Williamson and Jorge Mateo.
Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, Victor Mesa Jr., Jonny DeLuca and Ryan Vilade make up the outfield group. Yandy Díaz is listed as the club’s designated hitter.
The Rays now turn from a short, efficient Yankees sweep to a longer October test against the Guardians, with Hopkins’ electric arm becoming the lone new piece in the clubhouse.
