The Dodgers may already own baseball’s best record at the All-Star break, but the next jolt to their roster could come from inside the organization rather than outside it.
If Los Angeles does dip into its farm system later this season, the name that stands out most is River Ryan. The right-hander has emerged as one of the biggest stories in the organization this year, thanks to the way he has pitched in his return from Tommy John surgery last season.
Ryan’s numbers show both the promise and the unfinished business. He has posted a 4.46 ERA across 36.1 innings while striking out 43 batters. His progress hit another pause near the end of June, when a hamstring injury - his second of the season - forced him back onto the shelf.
The Dodgers have handled the situation carefully, and that caution makes sense given Ryan’s recent surgery history. Andrew Friedman said the club is taking its time with the young starter.
“Especially with our young pitchers, as much patience as we can exercise when they’re coming back from a major surgery, the better,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said to The Athletic. “The level of intensity is different at the major league level than it is in the minor leagues.”
That patience has not changed the bigger picture. The Dodgers expect Ryan back relatively soon, and if he looks sharp again at Triple-A, he could still make his way to Los Angeles before the season ends. August or September remains the window.
There was a point when a call-up seemed close after Tyler Glasnow went down with a back injury and Blake Snell was sidelined by an elbow issue, but the Dodgers held firm and kept Ryan in the minors. Friedman has made it clear the organization wants the move to stick when it finally happens.
“Obviously [Ryan] is incredibly talented, and he’s going to be a big part of what we do going forward,” Friedman said to The Athletic. “But we’ve seen it with a lot of our young guys coming back from major surgery; it’s tough. And as much as we can ease that process along to have him in as good a spot to not only help us at the major-league level, but also be a very strong option for us in October, the better.”
Ryan has already shown he can handle big league hitters. In four starts for the Dodgers in 2024 before his elbow injury, he put together a 1.33 ERA, a strong reminder that he belongs in the conversation.
For now, the focus is getting past the hamstring issue and back on the mound. If that goes well, Ryan looks like the most likely Dodgers prospect to get the call before the year is out. He is ranked No. 6 in the organization by MLB Pipeline and is the club’s top pitching prospect.
In Other News...
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Veteran Exit And A Bigger Roster Crossroads
The Dodgers pitching depth took another small hit when a veteran left-hander chose free agency after being designated for assignment, a move that came once Landon Knack was activated from the injured list. It is the kind of roster churn that has become familiar for a club trying to keep its rotation covered while waiting for injured starters to work back, and it adds one more layer to a staff that has been constantly in motion.
Freddie Freeman also offered a reminder that the season can make long-term questions feel distant, saying he is focused on this year and would like to get to 20 major league seasons. Meanwhile, Dave Roberts addressed Eric Lauers place as a sixth starter and acknowledged the possibility that he could become a trade piece before the Aug. 3 deadline if the Dodgers get healthier in the rotation, which leaves the club balancing immediate innings against whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A Bigger Roki Sasaki Concern Than They Realized
Roki Sasakis first season in Los Angeles has been bumpy enough that the Dodgers are spending the All-Star break looking for answers, not just results. He finished his final start before the break with six innings of work, allowing four hits and three earned runs, and the broader line has been hard to ignore: a 3-5 record and a 5.33 ERA through 16 starts.
The encouraging part for the Dodgers is that Sasaki is still in the rotation, which gives the club time to keep working through what has gone wrong. The less comforting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from simple command issues to a deeper mechanical concern, and the next few weeks should tell whether the break gives him a reset or only a brief pause in a season that has already asked a lot of him. [Read more 🡒]