As part of their massive blockbuster trade of reigning American League Cy Young Award winning pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers early last month, the Detroit Tigers received outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan and right-hander Brady Smith.
And while the Tigers, who have tumbled out of the postseason chase in recent weeks, are getting set to commemorate the debut of Ryan with the Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens.
Ryan, who has been unavailable since suffering a hamstring injury while still part of the Dodgers prior to the trade, will be making his Detroit organizational debut with the Mud Hens on Tuesday, according to Tigers beat writer Jason Beck.
“River Ryan makes his Tigers organizational debut tonight,” Beck wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He’s listed as the starting pitcher for Triple-A Toledo at Iowa. He had been out with a hamstring injury suffered before his trade from the Dodgers.”
Detroit Tigers Prospect River Ryan Is Set To Make His Organizational Debut On Tuesday With Triple-A
Ryan, who was ranked the 68th overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, is set to make his Detroit organizational debut with the Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens against the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.
Ryan was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the 11th round (340th overall pick) of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Ryan was acquired by the Dodgers from San Diego in March 2022 and he eventually posted a 2.45 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 47⅔ innings before advancing to Double-A and Triple-A in 2023.
After shoulder issues delayed his 2024 season, Ryan reached the majors in July and made four starts for Los Angeles. He went 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 18 strikeouts across 20⅓ innings before a UCL injury ended his season. Tommy John surgery then sidelined him for all of 2025.
Ryan returned to the minors in 2026 and went 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 36⅓ innings before being sidelined by his hamstring ailment.
The Tigers Traded Ace Pitcher Tarik Skubal To The Dodgers In Early August
The Tigers were unable to come to an agreement with Skubal on a new contract beyond this season; he and the club went to salary arbitration prior to his campaign, and it was Skubal who won the ordeal, earning $32 million for 2026 as opposed to the $19 million that Detroit offered.
Following the trade, Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris explained that he feels the club came into the Deadline prepared.
“We came into this very well prepared,” Harris explained shortly after the Trade Deadline via ESPN. “We came into this with a firm idea of the type of deal that we wanted to ultimately land. And we had a deep understanding of what every organization had to offer.
“I think there is a unique dynamic with a player like Tarik Skubal. Markets at the deadline for the top players are just different than the rest of the market. So, I understand the intuition that, ‘Hey, you’re supposed to wait until the very last second on a deal and then pull a trigger at the very last second to maximize a return.’ That’s not how markets for the top players work.”
Major Career Milestone Awaits Tigers Player Acquired In Tarik Skubal Trade