Of the three players Detroit acquired for Tarik Skubal, River Ryan is the only one who has already pitched in the majors. He has also had Tommy John surgery, missed an entire season, and watched two World Series parades from the sidelines.
River Jason Ryan was born Aug. 17, 1998 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville. He came to the Dodgers from San Diego in the Matt Beaty trade and is now their No. 7 prospect and No. 68 in baseball per MLB Pipeline.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher River Ryan delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Twenty innings
He opened 2024 on the minor league injured list with shoulder fatigue, did not appear in a game until June, and made five starts at Triple-A Oklahoma City before the Dodgers purchased his contract. They needed him — the rotation had been gutted by injuries, as it is most years.
He debuted July 22, 2024 against the Giants: 5.1 innings, one unearned run, two strikeouts, Tyler Fitzgerald the first man he ever struck out. Six days later in Houston he struck out eight Astros.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher River Ryan delivers during the third inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Four starts. Twenty and a third innings. Three earned runs, a 1.33 ERA. Then it ended.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher River Ryan, left, is consoled by catcher Austin Barnes as umpire Brian O’Nora and manager Dave Roberts look on during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)
Aug. 10, 2024, fifth inning against Pittsburgh. Tommy John surgery followed. He did not pitch again in 2025 — not in the majors, not in the minors, not in a single rehab game.
Two parades he did not get to be in
Ryan and fellow starter Gavin Stone, who had right shoulder surgery two months later, missed two postseason runs and two championships while they rehabbed.
“I’m excited for River. I’m excited for Gavin,” Dave Roberts said at the Winter Meetings last December. “Because to see your teammates celebrate and go through what we went through and not be able to participate, those are things that we’re all betting on for that extra hunger to kind of make their impact in 2026.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher River Ryan throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game Monday, March 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
He came back this spring into a rotation that had no room for him. Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Ohtani, Sheehan, Sasaki. He was on the injured list again in June. He is on it now with a hamstring.
As the Dodgers go for a third straight title, he is going to Detroit.
This is a 2026 photo of River Ryan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. The images reflects the Los Angeles Dodgers active roster as of Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Phoenix, when this image was taken. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
What Detroit is betting on
Brandon Gomes said it plainly in December: “We know that pitching depth is fleeting.” The Dodgers had more starters than starts. Ryan was the surplus.
The Tigers traded two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for three players, none of whom has thrown a big league pitch this season. Ryan is the one who could change that fastest — a 27-year-old with major league experience, a 40-man roster spot, and twenty and a third innings that suggested something real. He is also the one whose value depends entirely on being available.
Detroit’s other returns are outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-hander Brady Smith.
