The Los Angeles Dodgers rotation suffered another loss as River Ryan exited his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to what was initially described as right forearm tightness.
The official diagnosis was much worse as an MRI revealed that Ryan sustained a strained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.
“It was a UCL strain. I don’t now which grade it is. All I know is this is going to be the season,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the team’s 6-5 walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The latest development is a crushing blow to Ryan, who had expressed some confidence his injury wouldn’t be too serious.
The right-hander was only four starts into his MLB career and had been a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers. Ryan went 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.18 WHIP in 20.1 innings at the big league level.
The Dodgers recalled Landon Knack from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Ryan’s spot on the roster, but his time up with the team may be brief because Walker Buehler is scheduled to be activated off the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Though, Knack is currently filling a bullpen role in his latest stint with theDodgers.
Although his impact on the Dodgers was short-lived, the loss of Ryan is still disappointing. The rookie could have potentially earned a postseason role amid Gavin Stone’s recent struggles, and uncertainty with Buehler, Bobby Miller and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Will River Ryan have Tommy John surgery?
A UCL strain is typically a precursor to Tommy John surgery but the Dodgers initially weren’t certain if Ryan would go down that path or opt for some form of rest and other recovery methods.
“I think they’re going to continue to assess that. For me, I just know he’s not going to be with us. As far as on the medical side going forward, I’m not sure,” Roberts said on Sunday.
But two days later, the Dodgers announced Ryan needs Tommy John surgery.
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