The River Ryan update was not what anyone wanted to hear.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been decimated by injuries this season. If you’ve been on the Dodgers’ active roster this season, you’ve probably also been on the injured list. This is especially true among pitchers.
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will not throw for the Dodgers for the rest of the season. Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow have each lost substantial time. Walker Buehler is now on rehab assignment in Triple-A after hurting his hip a while ago.
And just lately, rookie starter River Ryan appeared to be injured during his most recent outing.
An initial grimace and shaking of the hand are usually signs of a forearm or elbow injury. No pitching injury is scarier than an elbow injury.
River Ryan to miss the rest of 2024 with UCL strain
Ryan played down his injury immediately following the game.
“Not very. I’m feeling quite solid right now. We ran several tests, and it’s strong. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow morning. Look at how things are. I did not want to leave the game. Ryan asked Doc to allow him keep going despite his forearm discomfort.
The official diagnosis is now available, and it appears to be more serious than simple forearm tightness.
Ryan will miss the rest of the 2024 Major League Baseball season due to a right UCL strain in his elbow. The UCL is the ligament involved in the iconic Tommy John surgery.
At this moment, it is unknown whether Ryan will have one of two UCL surgeries: a UCL repair with internal bracing or a full Tommy John reconstruction. Ryan is likely to try non-surgical options initially, with the goal of resting and rehabing to avoid the injury reoccurring during Spring Training and the start of next season.
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Prior to his accident, Ryan was one of the top young pitchers in the league. He depended on his mid to high 90s fastball and a few different breaking balls, which he could command well. He had recently began to add another element to his game, modifying his windup timing to confuse hitters.
The Dodgers called up prospect Landon Knack to replace Ryan in the rotation. Long-term options in Los Angeles include Bobby Miller, Justin Wrobleski, and Walker Buehler.
