Rays announce 26-man ALDS roster with Rasmussen starting Game 1 vs. Yankees

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced their 26-man ALDS roster ahead of Game 1 against the New York Yankees, per Mark Polishuk at MLB Trade Rumors. Drew Rasmussen is listed as the Game 1 starter, and the full roster includes a pair of relievers — Garrett Cleavinger and Tyler Wells — who were each activated from the 15-day injured list on Monday after missing time with forearm tightness.

What happened

The Rays released their postseason roster following a regular season in which they went 98-64 (.605), won the AL East, and secured both a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the AL playoffs, per the report. The 26-man group includes two catchers, nine infielders, five outfielders, and ten pitchers — four left-handed and six right-handed.

The full roster, as reported by MLB Trade Rumors: catchers Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks; infielders Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, and Ben Williamson; outfielders Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, and Ryan Vilade; left-handed pitchers Cam Booser, Garrett Cleavinger, Steven Matz, and Ian Seymour; right-handed pitchers Bryan Baker, Griffin Jax, Kevin Kelly, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen, Cole Sulser, and Tyler Wells.

Why it matters

The inclusion of Cleavinger and Wells is the most operationally significant detail in the announcement. Both pitchers were activated from the 15-day injured list on Monday, and their presence on the ALDS roster indicates they have recovered from what MLB Trade Rumors describes as "somewhat ominous cases of forearm tightness." Per the report, Cleavinger missed roughly a month of action and Wells a little over three weeks — outcomes characterized as best-case scenarios, given that forearm-related issues can often precede more serious injuries.

The other health storyline resolves more cleanly. Outfielder Chandler Simpson, who had not played since fouling a ball off his right foot during Tampa's 2-0 win over Philadelphia on September 25, appears to have avoided any major foot problem, per the report. The Rays held Simpson out of their final two regular-season games as a precaution, and he is expected to return to his usual spot in left field for the postseason.

The numbers

Simpson's presence on the roster carries real operational weight. Per MLB Trade Rumors, he hit .306/.333/.356 over 612 plate appearances this season, hitting zero home runs while leading the majors with 46 stolen bases. The report describes him as the poster child for the Rays' small-ball formula, and those numbers make the case without much additional argument — a .356 slugging percentage built entirely on contact and legs is its own kind of aesthetic statement.

The Rays enter the ALDS at 98-64 (.605), sitting first in the AL East. They are currently on a one-game losing streak heading into the series.

Where the club stands

Tampa Bay finished the regular season at 98-64 (.605), first in the AL East, and earned home-field advantage through the AL playoffs. The ALDS opens Saturday, October 3 at Tropicana Field, with Rasmussen scheduled to face Gerrit Cole. Game 2 is slated for Monday, October 5 at Tropicana Field, with the Yankees' probable listed as Cam Schlittler and Tampa Bay's starter to be determined. The series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday, October 7, should it be necessary.

Is Griffin Jax available for the ALDS?

Per the roster announcement, yes — Jax is included among the right-handed relievers. That is notable given that, days before the roster was set, Jax was struck by a 104 mph line drive off his back and exited a game, though he was reported at the time to expect to be ready for the postseason. His presence on the 26-man roster is consistent with that expectation, though the announcement itself does not speak to his current physical status beyond his inclusion.

What we don't know yet

The report does not specify a Game 2 starter for Tampa Bay, with that probable listed as TBD. Beyond the rotation, the roster announcement does not detail bullpen usage plans or the intended roles for the various relievers — the Rays' postseason deployment of a ten-man pitching staff will be worth watching as the series develops.

The forearm situations for Cleavinger and Wells are described as resolved well enough to warrant roster inclusion, but the report stops short of characterizing either pitcher as fully healthy in a clinical sense. Their workload management through the series remains an open question.

What to watch

The most immediate question is how Rasmussen fares against a Yankees lineup in Game 1 on Saturday. Beyond the opener, the Rays' bullpen construction — with Cleavinger and Wells freshly back from forearm issues and Jax returning from a line-drive scare — will be scrutinized closely in a short series where every available arm matters.

Simpson's foot bears watching as well. The report indicates the Rays held him out of the final two regular-season games purely as a precaution, and his inclusion on the roster signals confidence in his availability. But "precaution" and "postseason" occupy different risk registers, and how freely Tampa Bay deploys him on the bases in the early games will indicate how comfortable the club actually is with his status.

The Rays' 98-win regular season bought them a first-round bye and the right to host. Whether that translates against a Yankees club they'll face starting Saturday is the question the next several days are designed to answer.