Los Angeles Dodgers' Ryan Brothers Vie for Roster Spot, Their Off-Field Bond Even More Touching

Most pitchers in the Los Angeles Dodgers locker room are battling for a place on the Major League roster or a position in the starting rotation. However, for Ryder Ryan and River Ryan, every day at the team's spring training facility, Camelback Ranch, carries deeper personal meaning. It's a dream that started in a North Carolina backyard and, in January, finally materialized in the professional arena.

The last time the Ryan brothers wore the same jersey was in 2014, at North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, North Carolina. For over a decade thereafter, they were separated.

The 30-year-old Ryder became a baseball journeyman, representing the United States at the Tokyo Olympics, grinding through five Major League organizations, and ultimately signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers in January. The 27-year-old River transformed from a college shortstop into one of baseball's hottest pitching prospects. This transition was interrupted by a challenging Tommy John surgery recovery, during which he gained 35 pounds to handle the demands of throwing 100-mile-per-hour fastballs.

The brothers' reunion is not only a warm family story but also caught the attention of manager Dave Roberts early in spring training.

“First, they're brothers, right?” Roberts said. “I've observed their interactions from afar, but also noticed some details. When I asked River about his brother, his eyes lit up. He'd talk about what Ryder can do, how much he's already learned this spring. It's cool, it's fun.”

On Wednesday (Beijing time), River validated that “glow” with a dominant spring training debut, pitching two scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians with three strikeouts. Today, in the Dodgers' 6-0 win over the Royals, Ryder matched that effort, starting with two scoreless innings, allowing one strikeout and two walks. For the older brother, those innings meant far more than the stats; they represented the moment, after 12 years of waiting, to finally share a professional dugout with his younger brother.

“It means everything,” Ryder said regarding the glow Roberts described. “Growing up, we did everything together. We're really close. But since entering professional baseball, we hadn't seen each other for three spring trainings because we were in different places. I really missed my brother. Being here now, watching him train and play firsthand? It's amazing.”

The journey to this shared locker room was far from smooth. After Ryder graduated high school in 2014, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, beginning a nomadic path from Cleveland to New York, Texas, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, River established himself at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, was eventually drafted by the Padres as a two-way player, and then came to the Dodgers in a 2022 trade.

The gears of fate finally aligned this winter when the Dodgers saw Ryder pitching at a high-performance training facility.

“I trained with River for a little while, but I didn't know where I'd sign yet,” Ryder recalled. “I was pitching at Tread Athletics, the Dodgers saw it, and signed me a week later. Suddenly, I was with my brother and everyone in the locker room. Watching them go through their routines every day is just fantastic.”

River's physical transformation has been a hot topic early in spring training, while Ryder provides the veteran stability the Dodgers value. For the brothers, competition still exists, but it's tempered by the perspective gained from being apart for ten years, only able to check each other's stat sheets. Now, they just need to look a few locker stalls away, or over the dugout railing.

“I still have that competitive drive, but I love this job and just want to do my best,” Ryder said. “Having him over there by the railing is really great. He's my brother, hearing him say ‘good job’ when I come off the field… that's what you dream about. You hope to play in the Major Leagues with your brother. Now it's actually happening, it feels unreal.”