Rays swap reliever for prospect Hopkins on ALCS roster

The Tampa Bay Rays adjusted their postseason roster for the American League Championship Series on Monday, swapping left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger for right-handed prospect Brody Hopkins. The change marks the only modification to the 26-man roster between the Rays' sweep of the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series and their upcoming series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Roster Changes

Garrett Cleavinger, who did not pitch in the ALDS after returning from the injured list, was removed from the active roster. In his place, the Rays added Brody Hopkins, a right-handed pitcher known for a triple-digit fastball and breaking pitches. Hopkins, identified by MLB Pipeline as the Rays' No. 7 prospect, was called up from Triple-A Durham in September.

Manager Kevin Cash informed Hopkins of the decision following the team's workout at Tropicana Field on Sunday. "He was just like, 'Hey, man, you're going to be on this roster. Trust your stuff over the plate and handle your emotions,'" Hopkins said Monday afternoon. "And that was really all. He just said, 'You ready to pitch?' And I'm ready to pitch."

Hopkins' Recent Performance

Hopkins had made peace with the possibility that his season would end after being excluded from the ALDS roster. He noted that his situation in early August, when he was on the development list in Triple-A while transitioning from the rotation to the bullpen, could have been worse. "Going from the dev list to the ALCS in two months, it's pretty crazy to think about," Hopkins said. "I'm juiced and ready to go."

During his time with Triple-A Durham, Hopkins allowed three runs on two hits and six walks while striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings over six appearances. The Rays were encouraged by his performance in recent intrasquad scrimmages, where he demonstrated improved command in the strike zone.

Series Context

The Rays are carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the ALCS, a hitter-heavy composition that contrasts with the trend of teams expanding their pitching staffs for best-of-seven series. In the three-game ALDS sweep against the Yankees, only eight of the 12 pitchers on the roster appeared in games.

ALCS Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, truTV, UniMas, and HBO Max. This is the third ALCS appearance in franchise history for the Rays.

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Sources

• mlb.com: Rays 2026 ALCS roster

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