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A Los Angeles Dodgers team in desperate need of pitching got an encouraging start from one of its top prospects on Monday night.
River Ryan pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in his MLB debut. The run he allowed was unearned, courtesy of a ball passed by catcher Will Smith in the fourth inning. It was a strong effort from the 25-year-old right-hander whom the Dodgers called up to bolster an injury-depleted rotation.
This added to more good news after manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday that starters Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow are scheduled to return from injuries. Both are scheduled to launch this week to cap the four-game series against the Giants.
Ryan impresses after shaky start
Ryan allowed a walk to Jorge Soler and then gave up a single to LaMonte Wade Jr. But he got through the first unscathed before a 1-2-3 effort in the second.
Ryan then painted the outside corner with a 97 mph fastball to set up Tyler Fitzgerald for his first MLB strikeout in the third.
That effort opened his second straight 1-2-3 inning.
Wade walked to lead off the fourth inning and advanced to third base on a single and groundout. He then scored on a passed ball by Smith to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Ryan then struck out Mike Yastrzemski on a 94 mph cutter to end the inning.
Ryan pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth with three groundouts and came back out for the sixth, where he allowed two singles before being pulled with one out. Neither baserunner scored and Ryan finished his night without allowing an earned run.
His final output: 5 1/3 innings pitched, one run allowed (none earned), four hits allowed, three walks and two strikeouts on 72 pitches. He topped out at 97 mph on his four-seam fastball while featuring a six-pitch arsenal that includes a curveball, sinker, cutter, changeup and slider.
Dodgers crowd applauds relatively long effort
When it was over, the Dodgers home crowd gave him a standing ovationThe exit was The longest by a Dodgers starter since July 5. It was the first time in his professional career (45 starts in three minor league seasons) that Ryan pitched into the sixth inning.
He didn’t get the win, but the Dodgers did get one to improve to 60-41 with their fourth straight victory since the All-Star break.
Will Ryan stay in Los Angeles?
Ryan joined the rotation on Monday as one of the Dodgers’ most promising prospects. MLB.com ranks Ryan as the franchise’s No. 4 prospect. The Athletic rated him as theThe number 33 prospect in all of baseball in the spring.
Ryan played four seasons as a two-way player at UNC Pembroke and was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 11th round of the 2021 draft. The Dodgers acquired him in 2022 and he has climbed the prospect rankings in three seasons in the minor leagues.
With the return of Kershaw and Glasnow, it’s unclear how long Ryan will remain with the club. The Dodgers Veteran pitcher James Paxton designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Ryan.
Regardless of how long he remains in the game, his start gave confidence to a Dodgers team that has struggled to find pitching amid long-term injuries to several pitchers, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Brusdar Graterol and Dustin May.
