Rays Set 26-Man ALDS Roster for Yankees Series, Including Recovered Pitchers

Tampa Bay’s 98-win season earned the Rays the AL East title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the American League playoffs. Those advantages give the club a chance to begin its postseason run with preparation time and a familiar setting, but they don’t settle the harder question: whether the roster can turn a strong regular season into a series win against the Yankees. Drew Rasmussen is in line to start Game 1, putting an experienced arm at the front of the matchup. Several recent health concerns appear to have cleared, too, giving Tampa Bay more choices as it sets its pitching plan.

Rays’ ALDS roster

The 26-man roster combines two catchers, a group of infielders and outfielders, and a pitching staff with both left- and right-handed options. That mix gives the Rays room to respond to different game situations over a short series, when a starting plan can change quickly and bench decisions carry more weight. The roster itself doesn’t reveal who’ll play every day, but it shows the personnel Tampa Bay has chosen to take into the matchup.

Catchers: Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks
Infielders: Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Ben Williamson
Outfielders: Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Ryan Vilade
Left-handed pitchers: Cam Booser, Garrett Cleavinger, Steven Matz, Ian Seymour
Right-handed pitchers: Bryan Baker, Griffin Jax, Kevin Kelly, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen, Cole Sulser, Tyler Wells

The pitching list is the roster’s most consequential part because it gives the staff options across handedness and roles, while also reflecting how much a playoff series can depend on managing innings. Rasmussen’s projected Game 1 start supplies an initial anchor, but the presence of several right-handed pitchers and four left-handers leaves room for adjustments as matchups develop. There’s no guarantee those options will all be used; carrying them simply gives Tampa Bay choices.

On the position-player side, the two catchers provide coverage at a demanding position, while the infield and outfield groups give the club multiple players to deploy around the diamond. A postseason roster is a snapshot of availability and priorities, not a promise of a fixed lineup. If you’re watching the series, the useful question will be how Tampa Bay uses its depth when a game turns on a late substitution or a defensive decision.

Three health updates shape the group

Garrett Cleavinger and Tyler Wells returned from the 15-day injured list Monday and made the roster after forearm tightness. Cleavinger missed about a month; Wells was out a little more than three weeks. Their availability gives Tampa Bay both arms for the series after shorter-than-feared absences. The timing matters: a player can be technically available yet still leave the club weighing workload and readiness, so their return adds options without answering every question about how they’ll be used.

Forearm tightness is a broad description, and the source doesn’t give further detail about either pitcher’s condition. The practical point is narrower: Tampa Bay has included both on the active roster after their absences. That’s encouraging for a staff entering a short series, where a missing reliever or a limited starter can quickly affect how the manager handles the next game.

Chandler Simpson is also back after fouling a ball off his right foot in the Rays’ 2-0 win over Philadelphia on September 25. Tampa Bay held him out of its final two games as a precaution. He hit .306/.333/.356 in 612 plate appearances, with no home runs and a major league-leading 46 stolen bases. His return restores a key speed option in left field as the Rays begin the Yankees series.

Simpson’s line describes a distinct offensive profile: a high batting average, limited extra-base power as reflected in his slugging percentage, and a major contribution on the bases. That combination can affect how opponents defend and how Tampa Bay approaches opportunities to advance runners. But the foot is the immediate variable. The roster spot confirms he’s available; it doesn’t tell us how freely he’ll run or how much playing time he’ll get.

What the roster means for the series

This is more significant than it looks: the Rays have reached the ALDS with their season’s advantages intact and several players who recently had health concerns back in the group. A first-round bye and home-field advantage give them a favorable starting position, but neither can erase the uncertainty that comes with a short series. The outcome will turn on what the available players do, and on how effectively Tampa Bay converts roster flexibility into useful decisions.

Here’s the thing: the roster’s value will show up in small choices as much as in its headline names. A pitcher’s workload, a defensive replacement, or Simpson’s ability to contribute on the bases could shape the way a close game unfolds. And yet, the information available here doesn’t establish a specific rotation beyond Rasmussen’s Game 1 projection, or identify a set lineup. Patience, then. The series will reveal how the Rays intend to use the pieces they’ve brought.

That said, Tampa Bay enters with a clear foundation: a 98-win season, a division title, and a roster that includes the returning pitchers and outfielder described above. For readers tracking the matchup, those are the concrete advantages to watch alongside the less predictable questions of health, usage and execution. The Yankees series will test whether the Rays’ depth can matter when the margin for error narrows.