Dodgers might be changing course with 2026 plan for River Ryan

The Dodgers can dress it up however they want, but this spring is starting to look like the beginning of a different conversation for River Ryan. And it’s a “the plan may be shifting” kind of conversation.

Coming into camp, Ryan was still being viewed as a starting option, which makes sense on paper. The Dodgers have talked openly about wanting as many pitchers as possible built up for length because they know rotation plans in March rarely survive contact with the actual season. Dave Roberts essentially said the organization values having starters stretched to three, four, or five innings because it creates flexibility once the schedule starts making demands. 

Dodgers may be rethinking River Ryan in a way fans did not expect

That is the public framing. The actual usage has been a little more interesting. Ryan has made three Cactus League appearances, and every one of them has come out of the bullpen. Roberts admitted part of that is intentional. He said the Dodgers wanted to get eyes on Ryan in a major league game in that role, and his latest outing came in a piggyback setup behind Emmet Sheehan.

Ryan then gave Los Angeles 2 2/3 innings, allowed just one hit, a solo homer, and struck out three. Afterwards, Roberts said the stuff was good and liked the way Ryan’s command carried him through the outing. 

That doesn’t sound like a team abandoning the starter idea altogether. But it does sound like a team beginning to imagine a more flexible version of Ryan’s 2026 value.

That would be very Dodgers of them. They love optionality almost as much as they love overwhelming people with pitching depth. Even before Opening Day, that depth has taken a few hits. Blake Snell arrived behind schedule and is not expected to be part of the Opening Day rotation. Gavin Stone has been shut down because of right shoulder trouble. And Roki Sasaki is still trying to find consistency.

Suddenly, the idea of keeping Ryan on a traditional starter-only track may not be the smartest use of him if the big-league club needs coverage in multiple forms. 

Ryan might still become a starter for them this season. In fact, Roberts’ comments strongly suggest the Dodgers still view him that way in the bigger picture. But using him in relief right now feels like more than spring training randomness. It looks like a test drive for a role that could help the Dodgers sooner, especially if they need a sixth starter or someone who can bridge the middle innings. 

The Dodgers’ projected season-opening rotation currently includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Sheehan, and Sasaki, with Ryan among the names in the mix for additional starting coverage. 

For a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery after making four starts for the Dodgers in 2024, easing into impact through shorter outings is not exactly a crazy idea. Ryan has barely worked in relief as a pro, but that may be part of the appeal here. The Dodgers may be trying to make him more usable in more situations alongside keeping him healthy. 

This may be less about whether Ryan is still a starter and more about whether Los Angeles has decided limiting him to only that label no longer makes much sense.