Parker Messick was charged for two runs in two innings in a Game 5 loss in the ALCS on Sunday against the Rays.
Messick was going to need to be at his best to match Drew Rasmussen, and he wasn’t close. The left-hander allows runs in the first and second inning before exiting, and he needed a whopping 57 pitches to get his six outs. Messick won’t be available in Game 6 — one would think, anyway — but if they can force a Game 7 with a win Monday, it’s feasible that he could be an option for that contest come Tuesday. There’s a very good chance that this is the last time we’ve seen Messick pitch in 2026, and he was one of the best rookie starters in baseball and appears to have a bright future in the coming campaigns.
