The Los Angeles Dodgers got some good news about right-handed starter River Ryan today, and they sure could use it. He will take the mound at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, according to SportsnetLA’s David Vassegh. Ryan has been shelved on the injured list for more than a month with a hamstring pull.
Dodgers Starter River Ryan to Make Rehab Start Friday
The Quest Resumes
The young right-hander opened some eyes when the Dodgers promoted him to the majors in 2024. He was 1-0 with an ERA of 1.33. To measure how effective he was in a limited time, Ryan had 18 strikeouts in just 20 1/3 innings. He had a commanding presence on the mound, and his stuff was filthy. However, his season was cut short with an elbow injury. He was sidelined all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.
River Ryan is scheduled to start his first game since April 11th on Friday for @OKC_comets
Ryan was on IL with a hamstring injury. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) May 13, 2026
Hope Springs Eternal
The young hurler returned full bore in spring training, and it felt like he picked up right where he left off before the injury intermission. As an added bonus, he put 30 pounds on his wiry frame, which may help with the high demand of innings on his right arm. The Dodgers determined that they would go with a six-man rotation this season to minimize the innings load on an oft-injured rotation. There was no question that Ryan proved himself to be a viable option,
However, Los Angeles was concerned about the youngster and his ability to hold up through an entire season. They sent him down at the end of the exhibition season to get regular starts and put innings on his arm.
The Timetable for Return
For those who follow the Dodgers organization, the question is not if Ryan returns to a major-league mound in 2026, but when. Barring injury, it looks like a second-half call-up. What role he would play, of course, is yet to be determined. No matter how hard some may wish that Roki Sasaki would be replaced in the rotation, it seems unlikely to happen. However, it is easy to see Ryan in a long relief or piggy-back role to support weary arms when he wears a Dodger uniform again. For now, the pitching staff is holding its own. It is the struggling Dodgers offense that needs to wake up.
Main Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
