River Flows Through LA
Dodgers #4 Prospect, River Ryan, set to make his MLB Debut
The time has come. With all the injuries the Dodgers have suffered this season, especially on the pitching side, the need for another call up is urgent. The Dodgers' #4 Prospect River Ryan is set to make his MLB debut Monday against the Giants. Since Ryan wasn’t on the 40-man, James Paxton was DFA’d this afternoon after just 19 starts with the club. With the All Star break happening last week, Ryan got his final Minor League start in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday, where he fanned 5 over 4 innings of work.Â
The former two-way and Division 2 star at UNC Pembroke came over in the Matt Beaty trade to San Diego and is now regarded as a steal of a trade for the Boys in Blue, in dire need of some starting pitching. River Ryan flashes a full arsenal of plus pitches, averaging 98.5 with his fastball in his 5 starts in AAA Oklahoma City this season. Adding in two plus-offspeed pitches in a slider and curveball. He is still developing in the command department but shows extreme athleticism on the mound, making up for his smaller 6’2, 195 lb frame. Ryan posted a 3.80 ERA with 110 Ks over 104.1 innings of work.Â
While the Dodgers didn’t anticipate rushing Ryan, this may be the perfect time to bring up the reinforcements with Glasnow and Kershaw getting ready to make their return. He holds a high-two or three upside in the rotation and workhorse potential. Dave Roberts has praised Ryan for his competitive nature, and he should get after it tonight vs San Fran.