The Los Angeles Dodgers transferred River Ryan to the 60-day injured list, making room on the 40-man roster for Clayton Kershaw to re-sign.
The disappointment from Ryan’s 2024 season ending prematurely was twofold for the Dodgers. Not only was it yet another starting pitcher lost to a significant arm injury, but he was also having an excellent start to his first season in the Majors.
Ryan made a four starts for the Dodgers last season, pitching a total of 20.1 innings while only allowing three earned runs. He could have played a large role down the stretch, including the playoffs where the Dodgers were limited to three starting pitchers for the entirety of the tournament.
Ryan was removed from his Aug. 10 start against the Pittsburgh Pirates with right forearm tightness, which is almost never a good sign for a pitcher. It landed him on the injured list the very next day and eventually required Tommy John surgery, which was successfully performed on Aug. 25.
With Ryan’s procedure occurring late in the season and a typical recovery timetable of 12 to 18 months for Tommy John surgeries, there’s a slight possibility that he could return in late 2025, but the most likely scenario is a 2026 return date.
Ryan was one of three Dodgers rookie starting pitchers to suffer a serious arm injury in 2024, joining Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone.
Of the three, Sheehan is the one most likely to throw a Major League pitch for the Dodgers in 2025. Not only did Sheehan’s injury take place very early on, but his rehab process is also ahead of schedule.
River Ryan believes pitch clock contributed to injury
Although pitchers across all levels of MLB have had at least a couple of years to adjust to some of the rule changes, new rules like the pitch clock are still very much in their infancy.
The pitch clock still presented a challenge to Ryan last season, namely the strain that comes with throwing so many pitches in rapid succession. He believes it was this strain that contributed to his elbow injury.
A recent report conducted by MLB concluded that it is instead a confluence of factors that have contributed to the rapid rise in arm injuries. Going forward, there is a concerted effort from MLB to find a solution.
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