Why Aren't Dodgers Calling Up Top Pitching Prospect Amid Rash of Injuries?
The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2026 season has told a similar tale from the previous two, where the pitching staff has been decimated by injuries.
The ongoing trend, while concerning, opens the door for young talent within the Dodgers farm system to get opportunities in the big leagues.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has famously said a team can never have enough starting pitching, and that remains true for the Dodgers in 2026.
The Dodgers lost both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow recently. Instead of calling up a top prospect, the Dodgers front office traded with the Toronto Blue Jays for recently designated for assignment left-hander Eric Lauer.
Lauer is poised to be the Dodgers' sixth starter and make his debut with LA on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers will stick with their six-man rotation for the time being, but there is one top pitching prospect that is expected to make a cameo at some point in 2026.
Right-hander River Ryan posted a 1.33 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 20.1 innings pitched in 2024.
He was then forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and spent all of 2025 recovering from the procedure. This spring, Ryan participated in Cactus League as the Dodgers evaluated the 27-year-old.
The right-hander didn't make the Opening Day roster and started the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. This season, Ryan is sporting a 4.09 ERA with 14 strikeouts across 11 innings of work.
Ryan missed about a month of the season because of a hamstring injury that sidelined him. He's now in the process of ramping up again after having a fully healthy offseason and spring.
When Will River Ryan Return to MLB With Dodgers?
General manager Brandon Gomes revealed the team's plan for Ryan this season, and discussed why he wasn't called up to replace Snell or Glasnow in the rotation.
"[He's] obviously incredibly talented, and back to full health and throwing the ball really well his last outing," Gomes said of Ryan. "But we need some time to get River built up. He needs to get out there and be able to pitch deeper into games before we feel good about bringing him up here."
The Dodgers don't want to put Ryan in harms way by calling him up so soon after getting back from injury. They also know he's not built up to go deeper into games, which could strain the bullpen.
Both Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki have struggled to go deep into games this season. The Dodgers wouldn't want to bring another pitcher into the mix that isn't ready to go six innings every start.
As injuries decimate the Dodgers rotation, there is certainly a chance Ryan will be in the rotation in the coming months if he performs at a high level. However, he'll continue to build up in the minor leagues while the Dodgers see if Lauer can return to his 2025 form.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Why Aren't Dodgers Calling Up Top Pitching Prospect Amid Rash of Injuries?.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM.