We’ve been waiting to get a look at right-hander River Ryan since the Tigers acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers as a key part of the Tarik Skubal trade. The 28-year-old has missed much of the season with a right hamstring strain that reoccured the first time he came off the injured list in the Dodgers’ system. On Wednesday, he debuted in the Tigers’ organization with two scoreless frames for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
As you’d expect after a hamstring injury, the Tigers didn’t push him in this
outing. And as you’d expect if you’ve seen Ryan pitch, he looked really good. He allowed just two weak hits and struck out two in his two innings of work.
Ryan averaged 97 mph with his fourseam fastball, mainly pairing that with his 91-92 mph slider. He mixed in his 94 mph cutter, using his sinker, curveball, and changeup minimally in the short outing. In short, his arm looks as good as ever. Ryan is the most talented arm in the organization, and will hopefully be able to take his spot in the 2027 rotation. The Tigers got a really good one here. It’s just a question of whether he can finally put the injury bug behind him.
You can watch the full outing below. Look for him to stretch out with at least one more start for the Mud Hens before finishing the season with the Tigers.
