The Detroit Tigers are set to bring River Ryan back to the majors on Monday, giving the right-hander his first big league opportunity with the club in a matchup against the Washington Nationals.
Ryan, 28, arrived in Detroit as a major part of the blockbuster deadline deal that sent Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He still hasn’t taken the mound for the Tigers in the majors, though, because a hamstring injury slowed his path back while he worked through the minors.
That return route has been short but encouraging. After coming off the injured list, Ryan made two Triple-A appearances for the Toledo Mud Hens, logging a 3.86 ERA across 4.2 innings and striking out four.
Before the trade, he was pitching for the Oklahoma City Comets in the Dodgers’ system. In eight games there, he gave up 18 earned runs over 36.1 innings while striking out 43.
Ryan is not a stranger to MLB hitters. He made four starts for the Dodgers in 2024, working 20.1 innings, fanning 18 batters and putting up a 1.33 ERA.
That season didn’t last long. Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2025. The Dodgers also left him off the Opening Day roster after a solid spring, and injuries in the minors kept him from getting back sooner.
Now healthy, he gets another shot at the league, with his first appearance since 2024 coming at 5:40 p.m. CDT against a Nationals lineup that has been swinging the bat well. Washington enters with the sixth-best wRC+ in MLB and the third-most runs scored, behind only the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.
For Ryan, the assignment is a strong test right away. For the Tigers, it’s a chance to see whether the right-hander can start carving out a place in the rotation moving toward next season.
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