Ryan Returns After Year and a Half Hiatus: Nervous to the Point of Sweaty Palms, Diaz Makes Dodgers Debut

River Ryan has yet to prove himself in the major leagues, but the first impression he left 18 months ago remains vivid. After making his MLB debut in the summer of 2024, the right-handed pitcher showed remarkable potential, allowing just 3 runs over 20.1 innings for a 1.33 ERA. Unfortunately, his initial stint with the Dodgers was cut short after only four starts due to Tommy John surgery.

Now fully recovered, Ryan returned to the mound today in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 10-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. This marked his first official game action since August 10, 2024, pitching a scoreless inning. He struck out Nolan Arenado looking, got Ildemaro Vargas to ground out, then walked Jordan Lawlar, who was later caught stealing to end the inning.

The Dodgers believe Ryan is in good form, though perhaps a step behind Gavin Stone, who also missed the entire previous season with a shoulder injury. Ryan is still working on his command, throwing only 8 strikes out of 19 pitches, admitting the adrenaline of returning to the mound played a role.

"I was definitely pretty nervous," Ryan said. "The hardest thing to control is the adrenaline. I haven't felt that in a year and a half, so it was really tough to manage when I got out there... I'm happy to get through the inning unscathed."

Entering spring training, the Dodgers had a general idea of their Opening Day rotation, but after Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani, there could be three spots up for grabs. Blake Snell seems unlikely to be ready by Opening Day. Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan are expected to fill the remaining slots in a six-man rotation, but both need to perform well in spring training to secure their places.

The Dodgers' spring camp also features several pitchers like Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack stretching out as starters. Those who don't make the Opening Day rotation could begin the new season in the minor leagues.

"There are several pitchers we don't really know yet," manager Dave Roberts said earlier in spring training. "We view them as starters; they are all starting pitchers. But when we break camp, we're not sure how we'll fill out the roster with the best players."

Diaz's Dodgers Debut: Another Warm-Up Before the Classic

The Dodgers also got their first look at their new closer, Edwin Díaz, who joined the team in the offseason on a 3-year, $69 million deal. He also pitched a scoreless inning in this game, allowing a hit to Druw Jones and striking out Aramis Garcia.

Díaz plans to pitch one more Cactus League game before leaving to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. This will be his first time playing professionally in his home country of Puerto Rico, as Group A play begins on March 6 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

"Being able to pitch in front of my family and friends is the most important thing for me," Díaz said. "Fans in Puerto Rico don't have the chance to travel long distances to see us play in the majors. To pitch in front of my family and friends is something I'm really looking forward to."

Díaz has already dyed his hair blonde, a tradition for Team Puerto Rico. "I had someone do it for me," he said. "If I did it myself, I might have ended up bald."