3 replacements for Joe Ryan the Twins should consider if he needs to miss time

A potential nightmare scenario played out for Minnesota Twins fans on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Joe Ryan neeed to exit his start early after experiecining some arm issues, something that was later described by the team as right tricep tightness. It might end up being less concerning than it initially seemed, but the fact of the matter is one of Minnesota’s best pitchers might need to get shut down for the next few weeks in order to ensure he’s ready for a postseason push.

If that happens, the Twins have limited resources to fill in the gaps.

The team failed to make a move at the trade deadline to acquire starting pitching, something that was already a need before losing Ryan. If Minnesota needs to replace their best pitcher in the rotation, it will need to come from within but thankfully there are a few solid options waiting to get called upon.

3 replacements for Joe Ryan if he needs to miss time

Louie Varland

The most logical option for replacing Ryan in the rotation is Louie Varland, who has actually started to turn things around at Triple-A as of late.

Varland owns a 1.49 ERA with the Saints, something that has earned him a chance to start as part of a double header this weekend against the Cleveland Guardians. It’s the second chance that Varland will get to spot start for the Twins, and if things go the way they did the first time then he might earn himself a spot in the rotation for the time being.

Last time out, Varland threw five innings and gave up zero runs against the Rockies. That was his last official start since getting sent down to the minors after a horrible start to the season. His Spring Training stint was much better, and hopefully much more indicative of what he might be able to provide to the rotation if he’s reinserted.

Varland keeps hanging around, and while he’s not the sexiest option to replace Ryan in the rotation he’s certainly earned his way back into the mix.

David Festa

This is a move that would require another move to make sure it all worked. David Festa was originally called up to replace Chris Paddack after he needed to spend some time on the IL earlier this summer. While things weren’t exactly great for Festa out of the gate, he’s seemingly settled down a bit and put his best foot forward during his last start against the Cubs.

Festa allowed just two hits on zero runs over five innings of brilliant work against Chicago, which is hopefully a sign of what’s to come. He was no doubt rough over his first few starts, but that’s to be expected for a young pitcher finding his way.

What we saw out of Festa against the Cubs is much more in line with the promise he’s shown as the Twins’ top pitching prospect, and filling in for Joe Ryan could be the perfect opportunity for him to show everyone why he deserves to be a part of Minnesota's future.

It’s not a one-to-one replacement, but if Paddack can come back and help the back-end of the rotation then it’s worth seeing if Festa can step up and hand things at the front.

Zebby Matthews

After David Festa quickly ascended to a spot on the MLB roster, Zebby Matthews moved into his role as the team’s top pitching prospect in the minor leagues. It’s a well-earned honor, too, as Matthews has sky-rocketed through the ranks almost as quickly ad Festa has, already arriving to St. Paul in what feels like no time at all.

When the season started, Matthews was on a few radars but generally wasn’t a name most folks were circling. Since then he’s become a Top 100 prospect for Minnesota and has moved all the way up to Triple-A where he’s knocking on the door of a promotion.

Perhaps the potential loss of Joe Rayn further excellerates his ascent.

One thing that might be holding him back is his 7.07 ERA with the Saints. Focusing solely on that is a bit unfair to Matthews, though, who owns a 69 strike rate, 15 percent SwStr rate which implies he’s been better than it seems.

Rushing Festa up was a risk, one that we had to wait until the series against the Cubs to pay off. If Ryan is going to miss time, though, the Twins might want to see what Matthews has and test him at the MLB level while giving hi some valuable experience he could build on for the future.

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