Right-hander Joe Ryan will not start tonight against the Athletics, manager Derek Shelton told reporters, including Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com. Ryan is dealing with arm fatigue. The club is hopeful he can pitch in an upcoming series against the Royals. Mike Paredes will start in Ryan’s place.
Anything arm-related is concerning, even with the vague “fatigue” diagnosis. It’s particularly alarming considering Ryan dealt with elbow pain in May. The issue ultimately didn’t cost him any time, and maybe this problem will only be a minor delay.
Ryan’s injury comes after his worst start of the season. He was crushed for eight earned runs across four innings against the Guardians on Monday. Cleveland took him deep six times. Ryan has dealt with homer issues at times during his career, but he’d done a great job keeping the ball in the yard until this week. The veteran righty had allowed seven home runs over his previous 15 starts before the debacle vs. the Guardians.
While bumping Ryan from his scheduled outing might lead to trade speculation, it’d be a little early for Minnesota to move that direction. The club split the series in Cleveland and has a soft stretch coming up against the A’s and Royals. Even with a loss on Friday, the Twins are just three games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Team chairman Tom Pohlad has expressed a desire to put a competitive product on the field.
[Related: Twins Trade Deadline Outlook]
The 30-year-old Ryan is in the middle of another steady season. He has a 3.38 ERA supported by a 3.47 xERA and a 3.32 SIERA. His 27.8% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate are perfectly in line with his career norms. Ryan’s sinker and slider were down about a mph on Monday, but his four-seamer sat at 93.2 mph, basically identical to his season-long mark.
Ryan has had a few injuries pop up over his career, but never anything that’s cost him significant time. He missed a handful of starts with a groin strain in 2023. A shoulder strain ended his 2024 campaign in August. Ryan delivered a healthy 2025 that saw him reach career highs in appearances (31) and innings (171).
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
