Dodgers’ River Ryan Ready to Rejoin Rotation After Tommy John Recovery, Velocity Up and Confidence High
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitching depth is already one of the most talked-about in baseball, and now they’re getting a boost from within. Right-hander River Ryan, who missed the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, is gearing up for a return in 2026-and he’s coming back stronger, literally.
Ryan made his MLB debut in 2024 and turned heads right away, posting a 1.33 ERA over 20.1 innings in four starts. That’s not just a hot start-that’s a statement.
But just as quickly as he arrived, he was sidelined, forced to undergo elbow surgery that wiped out the following season. Now, after a long and deliberate rehab process, Ryan is set to rejoin the fold, and he’s itching to get back on the mound.
“Absolutely, I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back out there,” Ryan said ahead of Spring Training. “The last two years I was there, I’ve been injured and haven’t been able to participate with the team, but yeah, I’m really excited to get out there and get the show going.”
That sense of urgency is understandable. For two straight springs, Ryan’s been in camp but not truly in camp-watching from the sidelines as his teammates prepared for the grind of a Major League season. This time, he’s ready to be a full participant, and the Dodgers are ready to see what they’ve got in a pitcher who was already showing front-line stuff before the injury.
Ryan did manage to throw toward the end of the 2025 season, logging four live outings during his rehab. But with the Triple-A season already wrapped, there was no opportunity for official game action.
The Dodgers had a choice: rush him into a playoff bullpen role, or let him take a traditional offseason to build up for 2026. They chose the latter, and Ryan says that decision paid off.
“I’m around bullpen number 10,” he said. “Toward the end of the year in the rehab process, I had four live outings.
Unfortunately, the Triple-A season was over, and I couldn’t go out and do any rehab outings. So it was either jump straight into the playoffs or take a normal offseason build-up for ’26, and that was the consensus we came to.
And I feel great. I feel healthy, feel strong, ready to go.”
That’s the kind of update Dodgers fans want to hear. But Ryan didn’t just recover-he transformed.
Over the course of his rehab, he packed on around 30 pounds of muscle, going from a lean 195 pounds to hovering around 225. That added strength didn’t just help his recovery-it’s already showing up in his stuff.
“It’s definitely a long process,” Ryan said of the rehab. “I’ve been injured before, taking some time off, so it wasn’t like anything bombarded on me as far as anything I couldn’t handle. It was just really cool to dive into my health a little bit and put some weight on.”
The weight gain wasn’t accidental-it was a targeted effort, done in consultation with the Dodgers’ training staff. Ryan upped his calorie intake and hit the weight room hard, eventually reaching 230 pounds before dialing it back slightly to find the sweet spot where he felt strong but still agile.
“I just ate a lot of calories, and I lifted like an animal,” he said. “I put on like 30 pounds in five months.
I got to 230, actually, and then I was like, man, I had some talks with the weight coach. I was like, it’s really hard for me to move.
I’ve never been this heavy. So we kind of found the honey hole of 220-225, trying to stay around there, and I feel great, I feel agile.”
That added muscle has had a noticeable impact on his fastball. Ryan was already known for his velocity, but now he’s touching 100 mph with more ease and less effort.
“I think I’ve always been able to throw pretty hard,” he said. “But I think for me right now, I’m able to throw a lot harder, a lot easier.
I’m not having to try as hard to throw upper 90s, hit 100. I think it’s the weight.
Putting on some weight really has helped me in that process.”
For the Dodgers, that’s music to their ears. In a rotation that already features established arms and big-name depth, Ryan’s return adds another high-upside option with swing-and-miss stuff and a fresh arm. He’s not just coming back-he’s coming back better.
As Spring Training approaches, keep an eye on River Ryan. If his body holds up and the velocity sticks, he could be one of the breakout stories of 2026. The Dodgers are known for developing arms, but Ryan might just be their next big weapon-one who’s ready to make up for lost time.