River

Ryan

This one is perplexing. Ryan looked outstanding this spring in his return from Tommy John surgery with a microscopic 1.86 ERA and 12/4 K/BB ratio across 9 2/3 innings in Cactus League action. He seemed like a lock to open the year in the big leagues with Blake Snell (shoulder) starting on the injured list. The 27-year-old top pitching prospect will have to wait on the doorstep of the majors for his next opportunity. Los Angeles is going ahead with Roki Sasaki in their season-opening rotation despite his persistent command issues. Ryan’s departure also signals that Justin Wrobleski will function as a swingman or occasional sixth starter for now.

Ryan sustained his mid-to-upper 90’s fastball velocity into the late stages of this 48-pitch outing, which is an extremely encouraging sign coming back from Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old top pitching prospect has built a compelling case to crack Los Angeles’ season-opening rotation with his spring performance, which includes a sparkling 1.86 ERA and 12/4 K/BB ratio across 9 2/3 innings. He should get an opportunity with both Blake Snell (shoulder) and Gavin Stone (shoulder) headed to the injured list. Not to mention that Roki Sasaki’s command issues and general volatility make carrying some additional starting pitching depth a necessity. He’s a perfect zero-risk late-round lottery ticket in deeper mixed leagues.

Sasaki continued building up his pitch count and stamina out of the Cactus League spotlight after some mixed results in a handful of early-spring outings. The 24-year-old’s velocity has been there but his fastball command remains elusive. With both Blake Snell and Gavin Stone (shoulder) opening the season on the injured list, the Dodgers are probably going to need Sasaki in their early-season pitching mix even if starting the year at Triple-A might benefit his long-term development. It certainly feels like both Sasaki and dynamic pitching prospect River Ryan, who has looked phenomenal this spring, are going to make Los Angeles’ season-opening roster.

Ryan continues to receive an extended look this spring with a plethora of Dodgers pitchers either off participating in the World Baseball Classic or dealing with a slower ramp-up process. The fastball velocity isn’t quite back to pre-Tommy John levels but it doesn’t sound like the Dodgers are counting on him to be ready for the outset of the year. The 27-year-old was one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in the game before a major elbow injury altered his trajectory in 2024. A couple unexpected injuries could change that calculus but it would be surprising if he broke camp with the Dodgers instead of ramping back up in the minors considering how much development time he’s missed.

Ryan remains on track for a normal spring training after missing all of last season recovering from elbow surgery that he underwent back in 2024. The 27-year-old top pitching prospect will be worth monitoring closely in camp to see how his stuff rebounds, but he’s likely ticketed for Triple-A Oklahoma City to open the year given the Dodgers’ surplus of established rotation options. He could make a significant impact for fantasy managers when injuries take their inevitable toll and create a path for him to pitch in Los Angeles.

Ryan will be roughly 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery by next spring and shouldn’t have any limitations at the outset of camp. The 27-year-old righty recorded a sparkling 1.33 ERA over 20 1/3 innings over four starts when he broke into the majors back in 2024. He’ll likely open next season in the minors to focus on building up his stamina and workload but should factor into the Dodgers’ pitching mix at some point.

The Dodgers needed a spot on the 40-man roster after officially signing Clayton Kershaw, so Ryan heads to the 60-day injured list in a procedural move. He will be out for all of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of August.

Ryan will miss the rest of this season and most or all of next year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

It’s not a huge surprise, but it is still disappointing. It was already announced that Ryan would miss the remainder of the 2024 season, and this operation likely means that we won’t see Ryan for much — if at all — of the 2025 campaign. Ryan has considerable upside and still could be a long-term play for 2026 and beyond, but unfortunately we won’t see that talented right arm in action for at least a year, if not more.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ryan will miss the remainder of the season. It’s another blow for the Dodgers — and for fantasy managers — as the right-hander left Saturday’s start against the Pirates with the tightness in his right forearm. Assuming he doesn’t need surgery, Ryan will be a name to keep an eye on for the 2025 campaign.