River Ryan’s latest setback landed with a familiar kind of frustration, but the news around the Dodgers pitching prospect does not sound like something that should derail him for long.
Ryan was put on Triple-A Oklahoma City’s 7-day injured list Friday because of a hamstring strain, the second hamstring issue that has knocked him out this season. The injury came in his most recent start, when he was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Still, there was an encouraging note from Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes, who told Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic that the strain is “not anything overly serious,” and Ryan is expected to keep throwing even though he has not yet been cleared to get back on a mound.
When he has been available, Ryan has shown why he remains such an intriguing arm. His 4.46 ERA and 1.30 WHIP are solid rather than eye-popping, but the strikeout-to-walk profile jumps off the page: 43 strikeouts and only eight walks in 36 1/3 innings.
The stuff and the command are there. The only real question now is how quickly he can get back to full strength.
Meanwhile, Mike Sirota keeps stacking up numbers that are turning heads across the Dodgers system. The No. 4 prospect has now reached base in 63 straight games, leaving him 11 shy of the all-time minor-league record of 74.
The streak began with 30 straight games at High-A Great Lakes, and it has only gotten stronger since his move to Double-A Tulsa. In his first 33 games with the Drillers, the 23-year-old outfielder has reached safely every single time.
That kind of consistency would be enough on its own, but Sirota is backing it up with real production. Across High-A and Double-A, he has put together a 1.057 OPS with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 68 games.
This isn’t some brief hot streak, either. Last season, in an injury-shortened pro debut, he posted a 1.068 OPS with 13 homers and 54 RBI.
At this point, Sirota is making a strong case that he belongs in the Dodgers’ long-term outfield picture.
On the mound, a pair of Dodgers prospects turned in eye-opening performances of their own. Brady Smith delivered his best outing of the season for Single-A Ontario, firing six scoreless innings with one hit allowed, no walks and 11 strikeouts in a 6-2 win.
The right-hander has been piling up strikeouts all year, now at 81 in fewer than 50 innings, but this start stood out because of how deep he worked. Before it, he had not gone past four innings in any appearance this season.
Jakob Wright also put together one of his sharpest outings for High-A Great Lakes. The left-hander threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 shutout win, and the Loons’ staff held Lansing to just three hits.
For Wright, now 4-3, it was only his second scoreless appearance of the season, but it was the kind of step forward that can matter. He still has room to grow, but the stuff is there for a quick climb, while Smith does not appear far from a promotion.
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Shohei Ohtani Is Raking But Dodgers Fans Have A New Concern
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The concern for Dodgers fans is less about the bat than everything else that usually comes with Ohtanis game. Dave Roberts has made it clear the two-way star is still dealing with the injury, and the effect has shown up in the most obvious place, on the bases, where his usual threat to create havoc has been muted. For now, Los Angeles can live with that as long as the swing stays this loud, but it is still a reminder that even when Ohtani is producing, the Dodgers are watching closely to see what the knee allows next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Love This Wild Max Muncy Coincidence
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Both men were drafted by the Athletics, both were born on Aug. 25, and despite the matching name and parallel paths, they are not related. For the Dodgers, it is one more odd little piece of trivia attached to a familiar face, and one that should make every Max Muncy mention a little more interesting the next time his name pops up around the league. [Read more 🡒]
Max Muncy Quietly Entered Elite Company After One Key Change
Max Muncys latest adjustment did not come from a new swing path or a mechanical overhaul. It came from a pair of glasses he began wearing on April 30 after being diagnosed with astigmatism in his right eye, and the change has fit neatly with what the Dodgers have seen at the plate. Since then, Muncy has looked more like the version of himself the club has long counted on, with his production drawing notice even in a season crowded with star power.
The results have been hard to ignore. Muncy has been one of only nine hitters in Major League Baseball with a .900 OPS since he started wearing the glasses, and both he and observers have pointed to the visual tweak as a reason his offense has ticked up. For a player whose value often hinges on timing and precision, even a subtle correction has turned into a meaningful edge, and it gives the Dodgers another reminder of how small changes can matter over the course of a long season. [Read more 🡒]