Like any good new employee, River Ryan arrived early on his first day.
The newest Detroit Tigers right-hander arrived at his new home, Comerica Park, earlier than he typically does for a start day. He used the extra time to meet his new teammates and coaches and explore his new clubhouse.
After meeting with his new pitching coach, Chris Fetter, and catcher Dillon Dingler, Ryan was finally ready for his long-awaited return to MLB.
"Honestly, it is just freeing," Ryan said after he threw three scoreless innings in the Tigers' win over the Washington Nationals on Monday, Sept. 21. "It kind of felt like everything I have been through this year, kind of was all coming to fruition. I just felt free and had fun."
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Ryan, 28, has been waiting over two years to return to an MLB mound. He last pitched in the majors as a Los Angeles Dodger in 2024, throwing 20⅓ innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery. The surgery sapped Ryan of 2024 and 2025.
As he ramped up in 2026, Ryan landed on the minor-league injured list twice with hamstring injuries. During the second IL stint, the Dodgers dealt Ryan to the Tigers as part of a three-prospect package to land two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Aug. 1.
"I was really trying to get some strength back in my lower half," Ryan said. "It's been tough starting out throwing and then having to shut it down. Then ramp back up and having to shut it down again. Then ramp back up, which is what we are in right now."
In his first Tigers start, Ryan flashed some of the talent that made him a part of the trade return, despite his lengthy injury history. Ryan struck out the first batter he faced, All-Star slugger James Wood, with a 92 mph changeup below the zone.
Ryan faced 12 hitters over three innings, striking out three with two hits and one walk. He generated six whiffs, including three on his changeup. He threw six pitch types, with the four-seam fastball, averaging 96.5 mph, as his most frequent.
He exited after three innings because he wasn't able to fully stretch out as a starter in limited action with Triple-A Toledo before returning to the bigs. Right-hander Keider Montero, a starter for most of this season, threw four scoreless innings afterward.
"I thought he was excellent today." Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Ryan. "It was a lot to try to get in today, get to know everybody or at least try to remember a face or a name and where to go in this building. I thought he handled all of that extraordinarily well. And then he flashed all of the stuff that makes us excited about him. Obviously, it is pretty electric stuff and he was able to get some swing-and-miss.
"Very good first impression."
Ryan anticipated he could move at the deadline given the Dodgers' glut of pitching talent, combined with the team's aggressive front office in pursuit of a third straight World Series title. He was notified of the trade while he and his wife were putting their child to bed.
"I kind of knew something was going to happen with the situation [the Dodgers] were in and Skubal being who he is," Ryan said.
Ryan pushed to return to Detroit before the end of the season. Monday's start was a first step in that process. He is also tentatively scheduled to pitch in Detroit's finale on Sunday.
"It is a fresh start for him in so many ways," Hinch said. "And he's healthy. I think the only thing he really cared about was just the journey to get here healthy. He wants to finish the season as strong as he can, if it is three innings, six innings, nine, whatever."
Ryan used "freeing" to describe his new situation with the Tigers as well as returning to a big-league mound. He said he was "always going to be looking over my shoulder" with the Dodgers given the talent they had before trading for Skubal – 13 pitchers have started a game for the Dodgers in 2026, including another two-time Cy Young winner, Blake Snell.
In Detroit, Ryan sees more runway to develop as a starter.
"There is opportunity, in the sense of if I don't do as hot out there, I'll have the freedom to work on things at the big-league level," Ryan said. "Versus, like, if I wasn't doing well with the Dodgers, I felt like I was always going to be looking over my shoulder because they have so many starters. Like I said, it feels a little more freeing."
ContactJared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Now healthy, River Ryan 'just felt free and had fun' in Tigers debut
