The Detroit Tigers have an intriguing minor-league prospect taking the mound tonight.
For the first time as a member of the Tigers’ organization, Tigers right-handed pitcher River Ryan has been activated from the 7-day injured list and is starting in a game for Triple-A Toledo against the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The news was first reported by Baseball America’s Emily Waldon.
Ryan, 28, was one of three prospects the Tigers acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal trade, along with outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitcher Brady Smith. He is the No. 4 prospect in the Tigers’ organization, per MLB Pipeline.
Ryan made his MLB debut for the Dodgers on July 22, 2024, making four appearances for the Dodgers in 2024. The righty appeared in eight games for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, pitching to a 4.46 ERA over 36⅓ innings. He last pitched on June 17 and has been recovering from a hamstring strain.
Ryan was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 2021 draft as an infielder. However, he has made the transition from infielder to two-way prospect to starting pitcher, and is seen by some outlets as one of the best pitching prospects in the minors.
There was some thought that Ryan could join the Tigers’ rotation down the stretch after the Tigers traded Skubal and righty Casey Mize at the trade deadline. And while the Tigers’ playoff chances have dropped to below 1%, Ryan could still conceivably start for the Tigers before the end of the regular season – though the team has not provided a timeline for his promotion.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prospect from Tarik Skubal deal making organizational debut after injury
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