Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan scratched from first scheduled spring training start against Boston Red Sox
Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Joe Ryan has been scratched from his scheduled start today with low back tightness on his right side, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. It's unclear how serious the injury is.
At least Ryan's injury isn't arm-related, especially given the fact that Pablo López will miss the entire 2026 season after suffering a torn UCL. López is scheduled to undergo Tommy John Surgery on Wednesday.
Twins fans desperately hoping Joe Ryan's back tighness doesn't lead to IL stint
Still, while Ryan's injury may not be as serious as López's, it's still a major concern until we learn its severity. Hopefully the Twins are just being overly-cautious, and Ryan will be able to return to the mound soon. We will just have to wait for an update.
If Ryan's back tightness leads to a long IL stint, it'll be difficult to have any hope at all for the 2026 season. Losing López is already brutal, but losing both López and Ryan would give the Twins no true ace on their staff.
Ryan is supposed to be on Team USA's pitching staff for the World Baseball Classic, but that could change if his back tightness signifies a serious injury. Even if he has to be sidelined for just a week or two, Ryan will most likely have to be replaced on Team USA's roster.
If Twins' Joe Ryan's back tightness leads to IL stint, his trade value could significantly plummet
While a long IL stint for Ryan would be detrimental to the Twins' postseason aspirations, it could also negatively affect the team in future seasons. If the Twins aren't as competitive as they hope once this summer's Trade Deadline nears, trading Ryan would make a lot of sense for the team. But if Ryan is hurt once the Trade Deadline arrives, then Minnesota may not be able to get as much in return for the ace as it would've hoped.
Ryan proved last season that he is among the game's best starting pitchers when he's healthy. He earned his first career All-Star Game nod and posted 4.5 bWAR and a 3.42 ERA with 194 strikeouts and 39 walks in 171 innings across 31 games (30 starts). The Twins desperately need him healthy, especially with López scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery.