Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan had one of the worst starts of his season Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while issuing two walks and striking out just three.
He suffered his eighth loss of the season and his ERA climbed to 3.65. Given that Ryan is one of the best pitchers in baseball and earned his second straight All-Star selection for his first-half performance, seeing him struggle against a team like the Royals was unexpected.
What was especially troubling was what Ryan said after the game, revealing that his delivery did not feel right and that he would be going for an MRI to determine what was wrong.
The results came back Thursday and they were discouraging. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Ryan has a mild left glute strain and will be placed on the 15-day injured list.
With Ryan set to spend time on the injured list, the Twins are now facing a major problem. Minnesota decided to buy at this year's trade deadline, acquiring multiple relief pitchers to address what was by far their biggest weakness in the bullpen.
What they did not do was add starting pitching depth, and now they may be without their ace for a crucial stretch of their postseason push.
The Twins will have no capable arm to lead the rotation alongside right-hander Taj Bradley. Mick Abel, who may have been a solid option at the top of the staff, is not expected back in 2026. All-Star right-hander Pablo Lopez is also still recovering from Tommy John surgery and remains unavailable.
The Twins addressed what they believed was their biggest hole at the deadline. The problem is they now have a glaring void in their rotation with no way to address it now that the deadline has passed.
