The Tampa Bay Rays will start three former members of the Cleveland Guardians’ organization in their lineup for ALCS Game 3.
Much has been made already about how Junior Caminero was traded away from Cleveland when he was still just a teenager.
Then there’s Yandy Diaz, another known commodity who was dealt by Cleveland in a three-team trade back in 2018.
But on Thursday, a third member of that club pops up for the Rays: Richie Palacios.
They’re giving Palacios his first start of the ALCS in Game 3. He’ll bat eighth and play second base.
It’s eight years since Cleveland drafted Palacios in the third round out of Towson. It’s four years since he made his MLB debut for Cleveland.
And now, he’ll try and hand the Guardians a loss at Progressive Field.
Rays Lineup Changes
Palacios is the big change. He steps in for Ben Williamson, who started at second base in the first two games of this series.
It’s a choice to get another left-handed bat in the lineup against Guardians righty Gavin Williams.
Palacios also adds a speed element that Williamson doesn’t have.
This season, Palacios hit .235 with a .704 OPS in 124 games. He had 14 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 57 RBI. He stole 17 bases in 24 attempts.
He also appeared at third base, left field and right field — so if the Rays need to do some late-game shuffling, that’s available to them.
Tampa Bay also shifted Liam Hicks in the lineup on Thursday — he’ll hit sixth behind Chandler Simpson.
#Rays lineup for Game 3 (1 ET on TBS), with Palacios making his ALCS debut at 2B and Hicks hitting 6th behind Chandler Simpson. https://t.co/KLRd6zlzxX
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 15, 2026
Richie Palacios With Cleveland
The then-Indians took Palacios in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Towson University in Maryland.
A kid from Brooklyn, Palacios is just 5-foot-8, but he impressed collegiately to earn his spot in the Cleveland organization.
He climbed the ladder to make his debut in 2022. Palacios played 54 games for Cleveland and hit .232 with a .578 OPS. He hit six doubles and no home runs, and he stole two bases.
The following June, the St. Louis Cardinals purchased Palacios’ contract from Cleveland, and he got half a season in St. Louis.
From there, Palacios was traded to Tampa Bay in January 2024 for relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge.
Palacios had a solid 2024 season, then got just 17 games in the majors in 2025 before having a career year in 2026.
This postseason, Palacios has appeared in four games and gone 2-for-11 with a double and two RBI.
Rays Lineup Decision Gives Ex-Guardians Speedster 1st ALCS Start