When Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow hit the injured list, the natural conversation around the Dodgers turned to River Ryan. The right-hander had been carving through Triple-A lineups, looking every bit like the pitcher the organization has long believed in.
Instead of a call-up, Los Angeles went outside the system and acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays. That decision didn’t sit quietly with fans who had watched Ryan’s steady climb back from Tommy John surgery.
Ryan has been turning heads in Oklahoma City all season. In six starts at the Triple-A level, he has posted a 2.89 ERA while showing the kind of command and stuff that made him a top prospect before the elbow procedure wiped out his entire 2025 campaign. The results speak for themselves. He has looked healthy, sharp, and ready for the next step. His brief 2024 cameo in the majors only reinforced that belief — a 1.33 ERA across four starts that left little doubt about his big-league readiness.
The real explanation sits with the front office’s long-term view. Insiders Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic laid it out plainly.
“The Dodgers remain remarkably high on Ryan, to the point where they will not risk his long-term ceiling for the sake of temporary need on the major-league roster,” Woo wrote. “That’s why the club opted to acquire Eric Lauer. Given the overwhelming success so far, the Dodgers want to keep their six-man rotation in place without rushing Ryan. They’d much rather have the right-hander later in the year, either as a spot starter in the regular season or a firepower weapon out of the bullpen in the postseason.
“Barring an injury, we will see Ryan with the big-league club this year. The Dodgers simply want to make sure that when he does come up, it’s for good.”
That stance reflects a deliberate choice. The club is protecting an arm they see as a cornerstone piece rather than a quick patch. By bringing in Lauer, they keep the six-man rotation humming without forcing Ryan into a short-term role that could lead to another optioning later. The goal is clear: when Ryan arrives for good, he stays.
Ryan already knows what the big leagues feel like. He showed in limited action two years ago that his stuff plays at this level. The Dodgers see the same electric traits now in Triple-A. The difference is they are choosing development over desperation. They want the foundation built the right way — stretched out, sharpened, and durable — so the next time he takes the mound in Dodger blue, it carries weight for the stretch run and beyond.
