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Aug 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher River Ryan (77) pitches during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

River Ryan Reveals Big Change That's 'Helped A Lot'

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Matthew Moreno | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 3:05 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't make any additions to their starting rotation this offseason, as the group returns nearly full from a year ago and is backed by depth options.

Among those are former Dodgers prospect River Ryan, who made his MLB debut in 2024 but underwent Tommy John surgery after just four starts. The 27-year-old has navigated a lengthy rehab process and now is ready to contribute once again.

"I've been chomping at the bit to get back out there and actually participate in Major League camp," Ryan recently said. "The last two years I was there, I've been injured and haven't been able to participate. I'm really excited to get out there."

Not only is Ryan healthy this spring, but he's undergone a physical transformation from when the Dodgers last saw him by adding 30 pounds of muscle.

"It was just really cool to dive into my health a little bit and put some weight on. Before I got hurt, I think I was 195 pounds, and now I'm hovering around 225," Ryan revealed. "That's helped a lot. The rehab process was a big learning curve as far as putting time into my body and developing a really good routine for me to go out there and perform."

Ryan shared that process was achieved by eating "a lot of calories" and lifting weights "like an animal." He estimated the 30 pounds of muscle were added to his 6'2" frame over a span of five months.

Ryan compared his latest weight-lifting journey to a similar instance while with Double-A Tulsa in 2023 but he ultimately needed to scale back.

"I was squatting near 500 pounds, and I think I got a squat of 505 at one point," he recalled. "I was like, 'Man, that's a lot of weight and it's not making me feel very good the next day.' Definitely brought that back down quite a bit and worked on more resistance stuff."

River Ryan's velocity

Ryan started to face batters around the time the 2025 Minor League season was coming to an end and already reached double-digits for bullpen sessions leading into Spring Training. Those came with an increase in velocity that is a byproduct of the added muscle.

"I've always been able to throw pretty hard but I think for me right now, I'm able to throw a lot harder a lot easier," he noted. "I'm not having to try as hard to throw upper-90s, hit 100. I think putting on some weight has really helped me in that process."

Dodgers signed River Ryan's brother

Also different for the young starter this spring is being on the same team as his brother, Ryder Ryan. The Dodgers signed the elder Ryan to a Minor League contract with a non-roster invite to big league camp and intend to stretch him out as a starting pitcher.

"It's a dream come true," River Ryan said. "I haven't played with my brother since high school. We're going to be in the same big league clubhouse in Spring Training, it's really cool."

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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