Joe Ryan Gone After 9 Pitches: Twins' Ace Yanked with Elbow Soreness and Minnesota's Rotation in Freefall

The Minnesota Twins' pitching staff just got a whole lot more fragile. Ace Joe Ryan walked off the mound after throwing exactly nine pitches Sunday against Toronto, dealing with right elbow soreness that forced manager Derek Shelton to pull him in the first inning. This isn't just another injury delay. This is the Twins' rotation falling apart in real time.

Nine Pitches, One Strikeout, One Walk, One Exit

Ryan took the mound as Minnesota's Opening Day starter looking to turn around a rough early stretch. He struck out leadoff man Yohendrick Pinango on three pitches, then walked Kazuma Okamoto on a full count with a fastball high. That's when he knew something wasn't right. Ryan signaled for Shelton and trainer Nick Paparesta to come out, they had a brief conversation on the mound, and he headed straight to the dugout. Game over. Season in serious question.

Coming into Sunday, Ryan carried a 2-3 record with a 3.76 ERA through eight starts. His strikeout rate was solid with 39 K's in 38 1/3 innings, and his WHIP sat at 1.043. This was supposed to be the guy holding the rotation together. Instead, he barely got out of the first inning.

The Twins' Pitching Nightmare Keeps Getting Worse

Minnesota already had three starters on the injured list before Ryan went down. Pablo Lopez tore his ACL during the offseason and had Tommy John surgery, ending his season. David Festa landed on the shelf with shoulder issues. Mick Abel posted a 1-2 record and 3.98 ERA across four appearances before being shelved in mid-April, though he's expected back relatively soon. Now add Ryan to the list.

Ryan did deal with lower back issues earlier in the season that required an MRI, but he hadn't missed a turn until this elbow problem showed up on Sunday. The guy's been durable since making his major league debut in 2021, sitting at 48-39 with a 3.79 ERA across 123 appearances. But durability doesn't matter if your entire rotation keeps getting hurt.

Next start looms without answers. Watch this situation closely.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.