The Dodgers had no problem toppling one of the best young pitchers in the sport Saturday night.
When it came to their own promising rookie starter, however, the team suffered yet another potential injury blow.
While the Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates and rookie sensation Paul Skenes 4-1 at Dodger Stadium, they lost one of their own burgeoning arms — River Ryan — to a forearm injury in the fifth inning of his fourth career start.
A former two-way player who had blossomed on the mound in the Dodgers farm system, Ryan entered Saturday with a 1.72 ERA in his first three big-league outings. He had blanked the Pirates for the first four innings of Saturday, as well.
But then, with two outs in the fifth inning, Ryan misfired with a slider and immediately began shaking out his pitching arm. After a visit from a trainer, the right-hander was pulled out of the game. A couple innings later, the team announced he had “right forearm tightness.” The severity of the injury wasn’t immediately clear.
Ryan is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, but manager Dave Roberts said he is expected to go on the injured list. Landon Knack is expected to be called up to pitch out of the bullpen.
Still, any ailment to the forearm is a foreboding sign for the modern-day pitcher — especially a hard-throwing prospect such as Ryan, who never pitched past the fifth inning in a pro game until joining the Dodgers’ already banged-up rotation late last month.
The Dodgers still prevailed to clinch a series win over the Pirates, getting three early RBIs from streaking second baseman Gavin Lux and a towering solo home run from Teoscar Hernández in the fifth.
Against every other team in the majors this year, the hard-throwing Skenes has a 1.78 ERA in 13 starts.
In two games against the Dodgers, however, the former No. 1 overall pick has been charged with seven earned runs in just 11 innings (5.73 ERA).
The significance of that triumph, however, was deflated by Ryan’s early exit — turning the intriguing 25-year-old talent, who was beginning to look like a possible postseason weapon, into the latest question mark for an already short-handed, injury-plagued pitching staff.
Buehler returns Wednesday
If Ryan does miss any extended time, the Dodgers at least know who can replace him in the rotation. According to Roberts, Walker Buehler has completed his minor-league rehab assignment, and will likely start on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
“He’s in a good spot,” Roberts said. “I think physically he feels great.”
In his return from a second career Tommy John surgery this year, Buehler struggled in eight starts (1-4 record, 5.84 ERA) before going on the injured list in mid-June with a hip injury.
After spending time at a private facility in Florida, Buehler began a three-outing rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City last month. His most recent start was his best one, a 5 ⅓ inning, one-run effort in which he struck out five batters and threw 85 pitches.
“It still matters to go out there and feel good about your last outing before coming back,” Roberts said. “I honestly think this is as confident, as good as Walker has felt — physically and mentally — this year.”
Short hops
Reliever Ryan Brasier (calf) is expected to rejoin the Dodgers next week in St. Louis, Roberts said … Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder) will also travel on this week’s trip to throw a bullpen session in Milwaukee on Tuesday, and a simulated game in St. Louis next weekend … Chris Taylor (groin) has been taking live at-bats in simulated games this weekend, and is scheduled to go to the club’s facility in Arizona next week to continue his rehab.
