On Monday night, the Cleveland Guardians will open up their ALCS series with the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida.
The Guardians are coming off a series where they beat the Chicago White Sox in five games.
Yahoo Sports wrote: “THE GUARDIANS COME BACK FROM 0-2 TO BOOK A TRIP TO THE AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Cleveland defeats the Chicago White Sox to become the 11th team in MLB history to win a best-of-five Division Series and will now meet the Rays in the ALCS 👏”
Cleveland defeats the Chicago White Sox to become the 11th team in MLB history to win a best-of-five Division Series and will now meet the Rays in the ALCS 👏
Ex-Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Gets Good News
Ahead of Monday’s game, the Guardians announced that Foster Griffin will be their starting pitcher.
Zack Meisel of The Athletic wrote: “Foster Griffin will start for the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS.”
Griffin is coming off a strong 2026 regular season where he went 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA in 31 starts.
He was traded to the Guardians (via the Washington Nationals) during the middle of the season.
MLB.com wrote (on August 3): “Washington Nationals traded LHP Foster Griffin to Cleveland Guardians for LHP Will Dion, LHP Josh Hartle, OF Nick Mitchell and RHP Kendeglys Virguez.”
Looking At Griffin’s Brief Toronto Stint
While Griffin has become one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, it’s easy to forget that he appeared in one game for the Toronto Blue Jays (2022).
The Blue Jays wrote (via X) on July 16, 2022: “OFFICIAL: We‘ve acquired LHP Foster Griffin from the Royals in exchange for RHP Jonatan Bernal.”
Griffin has been optioned to Triple-A
ADDITIONAL ROSTER MOVES:
🔹 RHP Jeremy Beasley recalled from Triple-A
🔹 RHP Sergio Romo DFA’d
He pitched 2.0 innings (and allowed no runs).
The Blue Jays wrote (via X) on November 15, 2022: “🔹 LHP Foster Griffin has been released”
🔹 INFs Addison Barger, Spencer Horwitz, Orelvis Martinez and RHP Yosver Zulueta have been selected to the Major League roster
🔹 OFs Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer have been designated for assignment
🔹 LHP Foster Griffin has been released
It’s fair to say letting Griffin go was a mistake by Toronto.
Looking At Griffin’s Other Stops
Griffin has also pitched for the Kansas City Royals (and in Japan).
He made the first All-Star Game of his career earlier this season (as a member of the Nationals).
Ex-Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Gets Good News With Current Team