Dodgers starter River Ryan is done for the season after suffering an elbow injury in his last outing, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. Manager Dave Roberts said the team is still figuring out the proper diagnosis and the next steps for the 25-year-old hurler, but he will not be able to return to the mound in 2024, per Jack Harris of the LA Times.
Even if Ryan is able to avoid a worst-case scenario, he simply won’t have time to rest, rehab, and return before the end of the year. The Dodgers have placed Ryan on the 15-day IL and recalled Landon Knack ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Pirates.
Ryan is widely considered one of the top pitching prospects in the Dodgers organization, if not all of baseball. Although a shoulder injury held him back at the beginning of the year, he has looked phenomenal since his return.
The righty posted a 2.66 ERA over six starts at Triple-A and a 1.33 ERA across his first four starts in the majors. His four-seam fastball sits just above 96 mph, and his slider and curveball both look like they could be dominant secondary offerings. Ryan’s underlying numbers aren’t quite as impressive as his ERA, but his 4.50 SIERA and 3.97 xERA are still impressive for a young pitcher who was thrust into a big league role sooner than expected.
Indeed, Ryan made his big league debut after the All-Star break because the Dodgers were desperate for pitching. Now he has become another one of the team’s many injured starters. The situation is a little better now that Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw are healthy and Jack Flaherty has entered the equation. Still, Ryan joins teammates such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Dustin May on the IL.
It is only a matter of time before Ryan is transferred to the 60-day IL, likely when one of Max Muncy or Tommy Edman is ready to be reinstated. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters (including Jim Bowden of The Athletic) that Muncy and Edman could get back on the field during the team’s next homestand, which begins with a series against the Mariners on Monday, Aug. 19.
Knack, 27, has made nine appearances (eight starts) for the Dodgers this year, pitching to a 3.07 ERA and 4.00 SIERA. He has a 3.97 ERA in 59 innings at Triple-A. While he is primarily a starting pitcher, he will join L.A. as additional bullpen depth, likely just until Buehler rejoins the rotation. Buehler is expected to return on Wednesday.
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