Dodgers' rotation tested again after worrisome injury to breakout arm River Ryan

What's in the water at Dodger Stadium? It has to be something, given the way that pitchers keep getting ticked off one at a time with injuries. Last week, it was Brusdar Graterol, who had literally just come off the IL and only threw eight pitches before sustaining a hamstring strain. Before that was Blake Treinen, who went down with hip discomfort.

It would be hard to list all of the Dodgers pitchers who have been on the IL this season. Gavin Stone is the only starter who's managed to stay active and on the team from Opening Day.

River Ryan is the latest to fall. He started Saturday's game against the Pirates as the Dodgers were looking to take the series win, and pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings while only giving up four hits. With two outs in the fifth, he threw a slider way off the plate to Michael A. Taylor and was seen wincing and shaking his arm coming out of his follow-through.

The Dodgers pulled him, citing forearm tightness, and he was replaced by Alex Vesia. After the game, Ryan said he wasn't very concerned, stating, "I feel pretty solid right now. We took some tests. It's strong. I'm going to go to a doctor tomorrow morning. See how it is. I didn't want to come out of the game. I begged Doc to let me keep going."

Roberts was right to pull him, though, because further tests showed a strained UCL that will end his season at just four starts.

River Ryan's debut Dodgers season is over with a UCL strain

Ryan has been lights out since he was called up on July 22, and he was exactly what the Dodgers needed at a time after they'd willingly hobbled themselves by designating James Paxton for assignment and were still waiting for the re-arrivals of Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw. Ryan pitched 5 1/3 innings in his debut and only gave up a single unearned run.

Including Saturday's start, he has a 1.33 ERA on the season over 20 1/3 innings. He only surrendered one home run and struck out 18 batters. If he can bounce back from this in the offseason (specifically, if he can avoid surgery), he'll be an easy invite to spring training to fight for his rotation spot again in 2025, perhaps even supplanting Stone, who has a 6.91 ERA since his complete game shutout on June 26.

It's good that Dave Roberts didn't acquiesce to Ryan's desire to stay in the game, at least, and luckily a reinforcement is expected to come back to the rotation soon in the form of a hopefully resurgent Walker Buehler. Still, this is another disappointment for the Dodgers, who really looked like they had another ace on their hands in Ryan.