'Grey's Anatomy' season 13 news: Justin Chambers sees Alex becoming a dad; Meredith dumps Riggs?

The "Grey's Anatomy" season 13 premiere found Alex (Justin Chambers) getting into seriously hot water after beating DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) half to death. But not all is lost for one of the medical drama's original core characters.

In fact, Chambers assured fans that Alex will eventually find redemption and that he sees the troubled young doctor someday having his own family.

In the season 13 opener, Alex's future looked bleak, with the prospect of a prison sentence and a revoked medical license as the likely consequences of physically assaulting DeLuca.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chambers admitted that he doesn't know how Alex's arrest will impact his medical license but said that the nastier side of the doctor who once spent time in juvenile detention will certainly be given more attention in the upcoming episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" season 13.

"...[H]e's definitely taking a pit stop from trying to be more altruistic," the actor said, adding that while Alex has certainly been wronged, he also has to take responsibility for his actions.

But should Alex weather through this latest storm, Chambers said that he would like to see his character finally settling down.

"I'd like to see him settle and find real foundation with family," the actor told EW. "I think Alex would be a good dad, but maybe he's supposed to be everyone's dad as a doctor. I know that I still care to play him, so I'm interested in seeing where it goes, but I think Alex is going to be OK," he added.

Meanwhile, in an interview for EW's Spoiler Weekly, "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo revealed how the latest fiasco will affect her character Meredith Grey's blooming romance with Riggs (Martin Henderson) and her relationship with her sister Maggie (Kelly McCreary).

According to the actress, because Meredith has already wronged Maggie by not confiding to her that it was Alex who beat up DeLuca, Maggie's ex, she will have to take steps not to further damage their relationship.

"She can't betray Maggie again," Pompeo said, "yet she's finding herself in this triangle that Maggie for sure is going to see as a betrayal."

"Grey's Anatomy" season 13 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.