Twins' Joe Ryan: Shoulder injury recovery on track
Rotowire
Ryan has made good progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury that ended his season in early August, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told MLB.com. "Reports on him have been nothing but positive, kind of exactly what we expect for this to recover," Falvey said. "So that's good news."
Ryan suffered a Grade 2 teres major strain during a start Aug. 9 and missed the rest of the regular season. While no details were given about Ryan's progress, it sounds like he'll be ready for the start of spring training. He'll return to work at the top of the Minnesota rotation after going 7-7 with a 3.60 ERA and 9.8 K/9 in 23 starts last season.
The Twins transferred Ryan (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Ryan won't be eligible for activation until Oct. 9, ending his regular season. The right-hander is dealing with a Grade 2 teres major strain and could potentially be available if the Twins make the postseason, but a previous timeline of "weeks to months" doesn't provide much clarity. The transaction, along with Trevor Richards' DFA, opens up spots for Michael Tonkin and Caleb Boushley on the 40-man and 26-man rosters, respectively.
A second opinion on Ryan's shoulder showed a Grade 2 teres major strain, Stephen Hawkins of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The examination by prominent sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed an initial diagnosis that Ryan would likely be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. The Twins haven't ruled out his return, but manager Rocco Baldelli previously said that Ryan's recovery will take "weeks to months", giving him a very narrow window to get back on the mound.
