MINNEAPOLIS — Joe Ryan’s return to the Twins’ rotation could come sooner than anticipated.
“I think it’s on the table,” Shelton said. “I wouldn’t say 50-50, one way or another, but I don’t think it’s completely off the table.”
Ryan threw 42 pitches (29 strikes) on Tuesday in Omaha before throwing approximately 10 more pitches in the bullpen, meaning theoretically he could likely go over 60 pitches and perhaps four or five innings in his next outing. Ryan will throw a bullpen this weekend, most likely in Chicago, and then his next start would most likely come either for St. Paul or the Twins two days after that.
“What I liked was I didn’t feel stellar in the first inning, and maybe in the second,” Ryan said. “The first inning was good, and in the second I had to work a little bit more to find myself a little bit there. And then the third inning actually felt the best, and then I went for a fourth up [in the bullpen], which felt good. So, it’s good to see a progression there instead of the opposite.”
The right-hander threw his fastball at 91-92 mph in the rehab start, down from his season average of 93.4, but neither he nor Shelton expressed any concern about velocity. Ryan noted that it was extremely hot in Omaha, and also that he wasn’t reaching back for the kind of velocity he would in a Major League start. He also noted that he was pleased with the quality of his pitches overall.
“I think it was just off with the heat, and not wanting to fully let it go there,” Ryan said about the velocity. “I’m still throwing competitive pitches, and the intensity’s the same. There’s just another gear that you can tell you’re not going to get to.”
Ryan has been out since early August due to a strained left glute muscle. He posted a brilliant first half but struggled coming out of the All-Star break before being placed on the IL following a subpar start in Kansas City.