River Ryan, a Los Angeles Dodgers rookie, underwent successful Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. A timetable for Ryan’s recovery has not yet been determined.
“Everything went great,” manager Dave Roberts said of the operation.
The surgery was necessary after Ryan strained the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow during a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 10.
Ryan was taken out in the fifth inning after initially suffering from tightness in his right forearm. He expressed hope that the injury would not be too serious, but an MRI and further tests revealed a strained UCL.
Ryan is currently away from the Dodgers but is expected to return to the team soon. “He’s home in North Carolina visiting his son, but I believe he’ll be back next week,” Roberts said.
The right-hander had only made four starts in his MLB career before his injury and was a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers, going 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.18 WHIP in 20.1 major league innings.
Ryan will now miss the remainder of the 2024 season and possibly all of next year.
Is the pitch clock to blame for River Ryan’s injury?
Given the sharp rise in pitcher injuries in MLB, some believe the pitch clock is partly to blame, a point Ryan made immediately after his injury.
“It’s part of the game. It happens,” Ryan said initially about his injuries. “I mean, the pitch clock definitely forces you to get a lot faster. You didn’t have to be that fast before. When you’re throwing pitch after pitch in 15 seconds, it starts to take a toll.”
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