Dodgers Rookie Starter River Ryan Set for Tommy John Surgery

Ryan is the latest Dodgers pitcher to suffer a major injury this season.

Aug 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher River Ryan (77) pitches during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost yet another starting pitcher to the injured list.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced rookie righty River Ryan is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. The 25-year-old injured his elbow during his fourth career start on Saturday and had an MRI on Saturday. He is the latest in a long line of Dodgers starters to hit the IL this season.

Ryan had been a bright spot for the Dodgers during his brief tenure. The former two-way player went 1–0 with a 1.33 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and 18 strikeouts against nine walks in 20 1/3 innings pitched. Now he'll miss the rest of this season and likely all of 2025 as he recovers.

The Dodgers have seen a number of starters with IL stints this season. Currently, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are working their way back from injuries, while Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw have been sidelined as well. Dustin May was lost for the season in July due to a torn esophagus, and Tony Gonsolin was already missing the season due to Tommy John surgery.

In addition to those injuries to starters, the Dodgers are currently missing relievers Brusdar Graterol, Ryan Brasier, and Blake Treinen.

The Dodgers are still in first place in the National League West and brought in Jack Flaherty to bolster their rotation at the trade deadline. Additionally, Buehler is expected back this week, while Yamamoto has graduated to throwing bullpen sessions. So not all is lost, even if Ryan's season is.