River Ryan Has ‘Slim’ Chance to Replace Blake Snell in Dodgers Rotation
With Blake Snell likely headed for elbow surgery, River Ryan has a “slim” chance to step into the Dodgers’ rotation. Here’s where LA may turn as injuries mount.
LOS ANGELES, CA—Starting pitching? Yeah… you can never have enough of that stuff, amirite? Well, the Los Angeles Dodgers are about to be put to the test yet again this season.
After getting two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell back from the 15-day injured list last week, the left-hander will be heading back to the IL for an extended period of time as he’ll likely undergo elbow surgery to remove loose bodies.
The timeline for Snell’s return is still fluid, but the Dodgers and their manager, Dave Roberts, expect Snell to pitch again this season. However, it could be several months before he returns, meaning they’ll need someone to replace him for the summer.
That someone could be right-hander River Ryan, who, per Roberts, has a slim chance to replace Snell’s spot in the rotation as soon as it’s next turn. But wanted to remain noncommittal as the team is cautious with his buildup.
If you missed it, Ryan was just recently activated off the minor league injured list after suffering a hamstring injury during the first month of the year.
In his first start since the injury, Ryan was electric, reaching upwards of 100 mph with his fastball while allowing just one run on two hits, while also collecting four punch outs on 53 pitches.
Still, Ryan is one of several possible pitchers to take Snell’s spot in the rotation, including Tyler Glasnow, who is progressing well but slowly after his lower back injury.
In the meantime, the Dodgers will rely heavily on Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and homegrown talents Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and lefty Justin Wrobleski.