Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers are reportedly selecting the contract of top right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan to make his debut Monday night against the Giants.
Despite a late start to the season due to a shoulder injury during Spring Training, Ryan has been impressive in his limited action. He wasn’t sent on rehab until June 3, and has spent the last month-and-a-half building up his pitch count. Ryan got up to 67 pitches in his last Triple-A start and then pitched again in the Arizona Complex League over the All-Star break to maintain his progression.
Los Angeles has some pitching help coming back this week with both Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw expected to be activated off the injured list. That may limit Ryan’s chances to remain in the rotation passed this start against San Francisco, but even if he is sent back down to the minors, this will not be the only time this season he appears in the majors. However, the Dodgers designated James Paxton for assignment to open up a spot for Ryan, so it will be interesting to see how the rotation is managed moving forward.
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The Dodgers originally acquired Ryan during spring training in 2022. Then, Ryan was just a few months into his pro career, and the Padres had been using him as a position player after drafting him in the 11th round the year before. The Dodgers had Ryan, who was a two-way player at UNC Pembroke before being drafted, switch over to the mound.
Ryan made strides as a pitcher almost immediately. In his first full season on the mound, he posted a 2.45 ERA alongside a strikeout rate of nearly 35% while reaching High-A. He followed that performance by reaching 100 innings for the first time last year and earning a late-season promotion to Triple-A.
With his late start to 2024, Ryan has only made seven total starts in Triple-A, including his two at the end of 2023. His rise through the system was fast, but it was a track that made sense for him. Ryan has a ton of athleticism and is a quick learner, plus he is set to turn 26 years old in August.
Top #Dodgers RHP prospect River Ryan today for OKC:
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) July 11, 2024
5.0 IP
5 H
2 ER
2 BB
6 K
30 CSW%
67 P / 47 S
Both runs scored on a two-run homer, but he was sharp otherwise. This was his season high in IP and he’s close to a full workload. His debut could come soon. pic.twitter.com/HHXbwpo2rY
Ryan’s pitch arsenal is lead by a fastball that reaches the upper 90s and sits in the 96-98 mph range. He throws his fastball about 40% of the time and has a deep mix of secondary pitches to go to. The best of these offerings is his bullet slider, which averages around 88 mph and is a good pitch for chase and whiffs.
He throws his slider about 25% of the time, which is followed by his cutter that he throws at about a 15% rate. His cutter is like an even tighter version of his slider, sacrificing some break (both horizontally and vertically) for 92-94 mph velocity. His fourth most used secondary, still coming in at about 8% usage, is his hammer curveball which sits in the low-to-mid 80s.
To round out his mix, Ryan throws a sinker and occasional changeup, which is a pitch that could be useful against left-handed batters. In total, his six pitches create variety that should help him adjust to major league hitters.
Top #Dodgers RHP prospect River Ryan today for OKC:
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 22, 2024
3.0 IP
1 H
0 R
0 BB
4 K
7 whiffs
44 CSW%
34 P / 24 S
Ryan is progressively building up his pitch count. Topped out at 98.9 mph, averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball. pic.twitter.com/EpCujpfUcD
Through five Triple-A starts this season, Ryan has posted a 2.76 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. His command is more fringe-average than it is good, but it is solid enough to let his stuff play. It has been impressive to watch Ryan find immediate success bouncing back from his shoulder injury.
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Similarly to how the Dodgers have deployed Justin Wrobleski, Ryan should not be expected to go extremely deep into his start, barring special circumstances. He has only reached five innings once this year and would likely be best suited facing around 16-20 total batters if he is throwing well.
Regardless, Ryan will have the chance to make a good impression and be further considered for opportunities down the stretch. There are a number of ways the rest of the season could play out, but even if he is sent back down after his debut, Ryan is in a good spot to get more major league experience before the season comes to an end.
