River Ryan’s move to Detroit came with a twist most players never have to deal with: he was traded while still working back from a hamstring injury. For Ryan, though, the Tigers have made that process feel unusually steady.
The right-hander, part of the package the Los Angeles Dodgers sent to Detroit in the trade that brought two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to Los Angeles, said the Tigers have been far more present in his rehab than he expected. Speaking to Emily Waldon of Just Baseball, Ryan said, “I think since I’ve been through the trading process before, I kind of knew what to expect,” Ryan said.
“Transitioning over to another team, meeting all new people, becoming acquainted with everybody. That was pretty easy because I’ve been through it before and I had a reference.
“I think the transition, as far as being traded on the injured list and then switching to a whole other organization and continuing through that process, I think Detroit made it really easy. I think it was definitely a lot more hands-on with the Detroit organization. I feel like there was a lot more care involved, which was fantastic.”
He added, “They are being really involved in the day-to-day with me,” Ryan said. “They’re all watching my outings, my bullpens.
I mean, that’s really it. They’re just really trying to be as involved as they can on a day-to-day basis.”
Ryan’s latest injury came in June while he was pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City, during his return from the Tommy John surgery that wiped out all of last season. The road back has been long, but it’s not unfamiliar for him.
Before this latest chapter, Ryan had already been through plenty of change with the Dodgers. Los Angeles originally acquired him from the San Diego Padres in a deal for Matt Beaty just before the 2022 season, when he was still being developed as both an infielder and pitcher. He eventually settled in on the mound, made his MLB debut in 2024, and started four games before his season ended with another operation.
Across five minor league seasons with the Dodgers, Ryan went 6-12 with a 3.43 ERA and 255 strikeouts in 212.2 innings.
Ryan’s first game for Detroit arrived Monday night, and he made it count. Against the Washington Nationals, he worked three scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out three. It was his first Major League appearance in more than two years, coming after a pair of rehab starts for Triple-A Toledo.
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