Injury Setback for Dodgers' River Ryan
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been dealt another blow to their already beleaguered rotation. Adding to their mounting list of pitching woes, rookie right-hander River Ryan exited Saturday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after experiencing forearm tightness. Ryan's discomfort forced Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts to pull him off the mound in the fifth inning.
Ryan's troubles emerged in the third inning, where he initially felt discomfort in his forearm. Attempting to alleviate the pain, he turned to a massage gun between innings. However, the tightness returned by the fifth inning, compelling Roberts to make the hard decision to remove him from the game. The immediate diagnosis placed Ryan on the injured list the following day. Subsequent tests confirmed the rookie had suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, a grave injury necessitating Tommy John surgery.
This development marks a significant setback for the Dodgers' rotation. The injury concludes Ryan's promising 2024 season and likely sidelines him for most, if not all, of 2025. The Dodgers had high hopes for Ryan, who made his debut earlier this year and was seen as a potential mid-rotation starter. Baseball America had even asserted that he "has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter."
A Troubling Trend
Ryan's injury is merely the latest in a string of setbacks for the Dodgers' pitching staff. Earlier this season, Ryan missed the first two months due to a sore shoulder. Similarly, fellow pitcher Bobby Miller has spent significant time on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Upon his return, Miller struggled to regain form, recording an 8.07 ERA in seven big-league starts before being demoted. His performance at Triple-A wasn’t much better, posting a 5.82 ERA with nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (17) over five starts.
These struggles highlight an overarching issue for the Dodgers this season. So far, the team has been forced to use 17 different starting pitchers, the most in Major League Baseball. Each new injury or underperformance makes the task of fielding a consistent rotation increasingly challenging. With Ryan now out of commission, the Dodgers have called up right-handed pitcher Landon Knack to fill the void.
Season Outlook
Despite these numerous setbacks, the Dodgers have managed to maintain a stellar record of 70-49, which currently stands as the best in the National League. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres trail them by 3 1/2 games. Manager Dave Roberts and his staff now face the crucial task of piecing together a functional rotation for the postseason, while simultaneously focusing on preserving the health of their remaining arms and managing innings carefully.
The path forward involves calculated risk-taking and strategic planning to ensure the team remains atop the National League standings. Dodgers fans can only hope that the team’s astonishing depth and skill in strategizing will see them through this rocky period as they aim to maintain their leading position.