ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays unveiled their American League Division Series roster on Thursday, setting their 26-man squad for their first-round series against the Red Sox.

Their toughest task was narrowing down their pitching staff, finding the right mix of matchup relievers and length options, and deciding whether to carry 12 or 13 position players. The biggest surprise is perhaps the omission of popular outfielder Brett Phillips, who was part of their outfield rotation all season and a late-inning baserunning option off the bench, to make room for the return of first baseman/outfielder Jordan Luplow. The right-handed-hitting Luplow figures to be a better matchup against Boston’s left-handed starters, including Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale in the first two games, while Tampa Bay can get by in the outfield with Kevin Kiermaier, Randy Arozarena, Austin Meadows and Manuel Margot.

The Rays elected to carry 13 pitchers and 13 hitters. Right-hander Michael Wacha, who pitched well down the stretch, made the cut. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, the team’s innings leader, did not. Nor did reliever Nick Anderson, who finished the season on the 10-day injured list after not making his debut until mid-September.

The Rays can only add players to their roster to replace others who have been injured. They can reset their roster after each round. Teams can have up to nine additional non-roster players in the dugout this postseason, and the Rays elected to carry seven: Anderson, Phillips, Yarbrough, injured ace Tyler Glasnow, emergency third catcher René Pinto and injured relievers Chaz Roe and Jeffrey Springs.

Here is a look at each player on Tampa Bay’s ALDS roster.

CATCHERS (2)

Francisco Mejía, C: As a switch-hitter, Mejía provides plenty of flexibility. He played regularly at the start of the season, helping Zunino stay fresh, and he developed into a reliable presence behind the plate despite being bumped around the field previously by the Padres. He also displayed a knack for clutch hits late in games, too, so the Rays could utilize him as a pinch-hitter.

Mike Zunino, C: Arguably the team’s MVP, Zunino has had a tremendous season offensively and defensively. Expect to see him start behind the plate most games -- perhaps every game -- if only for his excellent work and leadership behind the plate. Oh, and don’t let the low average fool you: He’s a huge down-in-the-order power threat at the plate, too.

DESIGNATED HITTER (1)

Nelson Cruz, DH: Cruz hasn’t put up the best numbers with the Rays, but his presence has changed their lineup and his leadership has been invaluable. He’ll hit in the middle of the order every day, and absolutely nobody would be surprised if the career .288/.360/.659 postseason hitter went off on the game’s biggest stage.

INFIELDERS (5)

Ji-Man Choi, 1B: Choi has been limited by leg injuries this season, but expect to see the surprisingly flexible first baseman a lot against right-handed starting pitchers. Choi isn’t quite the power threat you’d expect at first base, but he works the kind of patient at-bats that wear down opponents. He’s also valuable as a pinch-hitter against right-handers on days he doesn’t start.

Yandy Díaz, INF: A critical part of the Rays’ lineup, especially against left-handers. He can start at first and third base, playing quality defense at both spots. He’ll grind out tough at-bats, with a solid walk rate and a low strikeout rate. While he’s still a ground-ball hitter who didn’t homer until June 6 this season, he can crush balls over the fence.

Wander Franco, SS: The hype was real. After a few up-and-down weeks, Franco has been every bit the high-contact hitter, on-base machine and dynamic presence befitting his two-time top prospect status. The 20-year-old switch-hitter has a flair for the dramatic, and the Rays have been thrilled with his defensive development at shortstop. He’ll hit near the top of the order, won’t swing and miss much and could be the breakout star of this postseason.

Brandon Lowe, 2B: It feels like forever ago that Lowe was “struggling,” but indeed, he ended play on June 22 hitting .198 with a .689 OPS. Since then, he’s been the Rays’ best hitter in his first full injury-free season. There’s no doubt the lefty-hitting second baseman, their primary leadoff man against righties, is eager to prove himself on the playoff stage after his postseason struggles last year.

Joey Wendle, INF: Wendle might be the quintessential Ray -- hardly a household name, widely respected by those within the industry, good at everything and great at multiple positions. He will likely start at third base vs. right-handers, but he can play every day due to his tough at-bats and excellent defense. He’s also an option at shortstop and second base if manager Kevin Cash has to do some in-game maneuvering.

OUTFIELDERS (5)

Randy Arozarena, OF: Arozarena’s historic postseason run last year created unfairly high expectations for this season, but he delivered an impressive year nonetheless. Arozarena really found his swing in the second half, when he was the Rays’ primary leadoff hitter against left-handers. He’ll hit in the middle of the order against righties, too. He’s pretty evenly split his time between left and right field, depending on the other corner outfielder in the lineup.

Kevin Kiermaier, OF: The veteran team leader is still an unparalleled defender in center field. His first half was a disappointment offensively, but he rebounded well in the second half. When he doesn’t start, he’ll come in late for defensive/baserunning purposes. Don’t forget Kiermaier, the longest-tenured Ray, had some big hits -- including two homers -- in last year’s World Series.

Jordan Luplow, 1B/OF: Luplow, an under-the-radar Trade Deadline acquisition, is here to hit left-handed pitching. For his career, he owns a .245/.360/.539 slash line against lefties. He could start at first base against heavy-split lefties, with Díaz starting at third. He has spent a lot of time in the outfield, but the Rays have had him focus mostly on first base.

Manuel Margot, OF: By some metrics, Margot has been the best defensive outfielder in baseball this season. He’s a true center fielder who plays like it even when he’s in right. Margot is a threat against left-handers, but his defense is so valuable that he’ll also start against righties behind fly-ball pitchers.

Austin Meadows, OF: Meadows is the Rays outfielder most likely to be removed late in games for defensive purposes, but he’ll play a lot because he’s such a threat offensively -- especially with runners in scoring position. Meadows put together the Rays’ first 100-RBI season since Evan Longoria in 2010, and he’s among the Major League leaders in go-ahead RBIs. As a left-handed hitter with power, he’s another huge threat as a pinch-hitter on days he doesn’t start.

PITCHERS (13)

Shane Baz, SP: The Chris Archer trade is the gift that keeps on giving. Without Tyler Glasnow, the Rays can turn to the other high-end young arm acquired in that July 2018 deal. Baz displayed front-line-starter stuff in his first two starts, including one against the tough Toronto lineup, and blew away the Rays with his slow heartbeat and advanced feel. The big stage likely won’t faze Baz, who pitched for the silver medal-winning Team USA earlier this year.

JT Chargois, RP: Chargois was incredible in his first month-plus with the Rays, recording a 0.64 ERA in 14 appearances after being traded by the Mariners. But he’s not exactly storming into October, with nearly as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (10) in 10 appearances from Sept. 6-28, including one in Houston in which he walked in both the tying run and winning run. Still, the Rays have shown trust in him in big, late-inning spots and figure to do the same moving forward as long as he throws strikes.

Pete Fairbanks, RP: Fairbanks has had his ups and downs since the middle of June, perhaps related to the shoulder issues he’s dealt with, but the Rays feel he’s in a good spot heading into the postseason. He’ll most likely work late in games, overpowering hitters with four-seam fastballs and breaking balls.

J.P. Feyereisen, RP: Feyereisen was excellent for his first five weeks with the Rays, struggled a bit in July then missed more than a month due to a right shoulder issue. Aside from a three-game slip-up in mid-September, he’s pitched well since returning. Feyereisen is occasionally asked to get out of a jam then pitch the following full inning, and he’s worked everywhere from the third through the 11th.

Josh Fleming, RP: Fleming’s past and future are as a starter/bulk-inning pitcher. For now, he’s working out of the bullpen as a “short” reliever. Fleming is best suited to face a bunch of lefty hitters, particularly when the Rays need a ground ball. Fleming has seen his fastball velocity tick up a bit out of the bullpen, too, turning his changeup into more of a swing-and-miss pitch.

Andrew Kittredge, RP: The Rays’ staff doesn’t function with set roles or innings assigned to each pitcher, but Kittredge has earned the opportunity to pitch in the highest-leverage spots. That can come at any point of the game, and if you need proof, just look at his game logs -- Kittredge has pitched in every inning from the first through the 11th this season. He’s also capable of entering with runners on, pitching more than one inning or opening, if need be.

Shane McClanahan, SP: Anybody wondering who’s going to start important games for the Rays in the postseason hasn’t been paying close enough attention to McClanahan. The rookie has been excellent, posting a 3.01 ERA over 16 starts from June 15-Sept. 25. The hard-throwing lefty, who debuted in last year’s postseason and evolved this year into a four-pitch starter, has shown impressive poise to go along with his electric stuff. He’s been limited to five innings lately, but don’t be surprised if the Rays loosen his leash a bit in October.

Collin McHugh, RP: McHugh has been everything the Rays needed, serving in a variety of roles and consistently getting outs. With his arsenal of breaking balls, the right-hander can pitch one high-leverage inning or several at a time. He’s been a strikeout machine. Whatever part he plays in October, it’ll be an important one.

Luis Patiño, SP: A starter most of the season, the Rays have given the 21-year-old right-hander a late-season look out of the bullpen. Presumably, they’ll ask him to go at least two innings or one time through the order, trusting him to blow away opposing hitters with his big fastball rather than conserve energy for later innings. Patiño is a particularly good matchup against heavy right-handed lineups, as lefties have given him a lot of trouble.

Drew Rasmussen, SP: He’s been automatic since officially joining Tampa Bay’s rotation on Aug. 12, posting a 1.46 ERA in eight starts. He’s not generating high strikeout totals despite his high-octane stuff, but he has maybe the best fastball command on the staff and he’s remarkably pitch-efficient, averaging 13 per inning as a starter. Much like McClanahan, the Rays were careful with his workload down the stretch, but they could let him loose if he stays that efficient.

David Robertson, RP: The Rays signed the veteran right-hander in mid-August, expecting he’d be able to help them in crunch time. He’s mostly pitched one inning late in games, although he opened one game in September (his first career start) then pitched two innings his next time out, so he could be another versatile option late in games for Cash.

Michael Wacha, SP/RP: Wacha picked a good time to have his best stretch. The veteran right-hander’s ERA was approaching 6.00 in mid-August, but he scrapped his cutter and put together a 3.38 ERA with 34 strikeouts and only six walks in six outings from Aug. 28-Sept. 28. The Rays were encouraged by his three-inning relief appearance against Toronto on Sept. 21, and he followed that with a hitless five-inning start in Houston a week later. That versatility can only help.

Matt Wisler, RP: The question for Wisler is how his troublesome right middle finger will hold up. The slider specialist, thrust into a high-leverage role with the Rays after they acquired him from the Giants on June 11, went on the 10-day IL on Aug. 16, returned for one brief appearance on Sept. 8 then went back on the IL on Sept. 10 due to the same finger inflammation. If he bounces back well, his slider makes him an intriguing weapon for Cash at any point of the game.