ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays are adding some big-time velocity to their bullpen, as they called up pitching prospect Brody Hopkins from Triple-A Durham on Saturday.
The club optioned right-hander Alex Cook to Durham to make room for Hopkins on the active roster and designated righty Michael Grove for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Hopkins joined the Rays, who clinched a spot in the postseason on Friday night, ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Astros at Tropicana Field. He will wear No. 88.
Hopkins is the Rays’ No. 7 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and the club’s top-ranked pitching prospect. Initially acquired from Seattle as part of Tampa Bay’s return for Randy Arozarena in July 2024, Hopkins has long possessed some of the nastiest stuff in the Minors, though he’s had some issues staying in the strike zone.
“Excited for him. Look, since the transition to the bullpen, he's done a nice job of getting the ball in the strike zone a little bit more frequently,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It's big, big stuff, and [we’ll] see if we can just harness it as many times over the [plate] as possible.”
The ultra-athletic right-hander spent most of the season as a st...