Joe Ryan took a meaningful step Wednesday toward getting back into the Twins’ rotation, and the right-hander came away from his live batting practice session at CHS Field looking and feeling much closer to himself.
While Minnesota wrapped up its six-game road trip in West Sacramento, Ryan was in St. Paul working through 26 pitches in simulated live at-bats.
He faced injured outfielder Austin Martin, plus minor leaguers Hendry Mendez and Ian Daugherty, and the results were clean. None of the balls in play left the bat.
Ryan’s fastball touched 93 miles per hour, he piled up eight whiffs against the two minor league hitters, and he finished those four at-bats with strikeouts. Martin saw only one swing in 10 pitches, and it ended in a foul ball.
“I would say I’m definitely in a much better spot,” Ryan said, and that’s the kind of update the Twins were hoping for after he landed on the 15-day injured list with a mild left glute strain.
The club is expected to decide Ryan’s next step within the next day or two, with recovery after Wednesday’s session still part of the evaluation. Ryan, though, sounded encouraged by the way the ball was coming out and the way it was moving.
That’s a notable change from last Saturday, when he said he felt “super out of whack” during a bullpen in St. Paul. Since then, he’s been working with Christian Hintz, the Twins’ physical therapist, on adjustments to his weight room routine.
“I just noticed ... it was contributing to some of the things I’ve probably feeling a little bit more, causing that glute to flare up,” Ryan said. “It made a lot of sense.
Christian and I talked about that a bit. We patterned some stuff out in the weight room that felt really good.
Over the last couple days, throwing has felt easier and easier. Trusting the lower half, I’d say, is the biggest thing.”
Ryan is expected to make at least one minor league rehab start before returning to the majors, but Wednesday’s work suggested he’s already moving in the right direction.
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