ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays made one roster move ahead of the American League Championship Series, dropping left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger and adding hard-throwing prospect Brody Hopkins to their 26-man roster for the best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Guardians, which opens Monday night at Tropicana Field.
Cleavinger did not appear in the Rays’ three-game ALDS sweep of the New York Yankees, making him the odd man out as Tampa Bay opted for another right-handed arm in the bullpen. Hopkins, the organization’s No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was called up from Triple-A Durham in September and posted a line of three runs on two hits and six walks while striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings over six appearances.
The Rays’ 26-man ALCS roster carries 14 position players and 12 pitchers — a hitter-heavy configuration that runs counter to the conventional postseason approach of loading up on arms as series lengthen. Tampa Bay leaned on only eight of its 12 pitchers during the ALDS, a reflection of how dominant the rotation and key relievers were against New York.
Hopkins brings a triple-digit fastball and what the club described as nasty breaking stuff, tools that drew attention when he worked as a starter in the minors. His command remained inconsistent in that role, but the Rays moved him to the bullpen and his stuff improved further — a development pattern the organization has used successfully with other young arms.
The ALCS marks the third such appearance in Rays franchise history. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.