Twins ace avoids injury that would have all but removed them from Guardians’ radar 

Earlier this month the Twins’ starting rotation took a huge hit when starting pitcher Pablo López suffered a UCL injury that’s going to require Tommy John surgery.

While it initially looked like the Twins rotation could take another hit over the weekend after ace Joe Ryan was scratched from his spring training start on Saturday due to lower back tightness, an MRI revealed that the Twins ace was only dealing with inflammation that should keep him out for a couple days. 

Even though the Twins aren’t on the same level as the Guardians or Tigers in the American League Central, Ryan has killed Cleveland throughout his career so his presence on Minnesota’s roster means the Guardians will likely at least one tough game in every series they play against the Twins this year. 

Not only would losing Ryan have been the final death blow for the Twins’ chances in the American League Central, but it also would have made Cleveland and Detroit’s path toward the postseason even easier. 

The Guardians are going to have to face off against Joe Ryan in 2026 after he avoids serious injury 

While Ryan was already incredibly important to the Twins’ rotation, he became even more important after they lost López for the season. 

A first-time All-Star last season, Ryan finished 2025 with a 3.42 ERA in 171 innings last season while striking out 28.2% of the batters he faced. 

That production led to the Twins getting plenty of calls regarding his availability at the trade deadline and Winter Meetings, but Minnesota’s front office elected to hold onto him amid their fire sale. 

Ryan was also scheduled to pitch for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and it stands to reason that his injury could impact his availability for the tournament. 

But even if the injury impacts his ability to pitch for his country, it’s still the better outcome for a Twins team that could end up being an AL Central bottomfeeder this season. 

But that could come in spite of Ryan’s production on the mound. As mentioned above he’s been great against the Guardians throughout his career, as he’s tallied a 2.94 ERA in 70 1/3 career innings against Cleveland.

The rest of the Twins rotation will likely consist of Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews and Taj Bradley with former top prospect Mick Abel waiting in the wings. 

While that’s a group that has a bit of upside, the Guardians are going to need to take care of business against them if they want to have any chance to win another American League Central title. 

Ryan being healthy makes that goal a little tougher to achieve.