The Minnesota Twins' pitching lineup faced a significant setback earlier this month with the loss of Pablo López, who is out for the season due to a UCL injury requiring Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, the Twins dodged another bullet over the weekend when ace Joe Ryan was scratched from a spring training start due to lower back tightness. An MRI revealed it was just inflammation, sidelining him for only a few days.
While the Twins might not stack up against the Guardians or Tigers in the AL Central, Ryan's presence has been a thorn in Cleveland's side. His history of strong performances against the Guardians means they’ll face a formidable challenge whenever he takes the mound.
Losing Ryan would have been a severe blow to the Twins' hopes in the division, and it would have smoothed the path for Cleveland and Detroit in their postseason quests. Ryan's importance to the Twins has only grown since López’s injury.
Last season, Ryan emerged as a first-time All-Star, boasting a 3.42 ERA over 171 innings and striking out 28.2% of batters faced. This stellar performance led to numerous trade inquiries, but the Twins decided to keep him during their offseason roster shuffle.
Ryan was also set to represent Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and while this recent injury might affect his participation, the Twins are undoubtedly relieved that it’s not more serious. His contributions could be crucial for a team that might find itself struggling in the AL Central standings.
Ryan’s track record against the Guardians is impressive, with a career 2.94 ERA over 70 1/3 innings. As the Twins’ rotation shapes up with Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, and Taj Bradley, with Mick Abel waiting for his chance, the Guardians will need to capitalize on their opportunities against this group to contend for another division title.
Ryan’s health adds an extra layer of difficulty to that challenge, making the AL Central race all the more intriguing.