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MN Twins Starter Changes WBC Plan Again
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- MN Twins Starter Changes WBC Plan Again
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
On Friday night Team USA took on Canada in the World Baseball Classic. It was the nation's third opportunity to knock off our neighbors to the north in the last month. After besting the Canadians on the ice in Italy, the Americans won in Houston on the diamond.
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Byron Buxton wasn't in the lineup for Mark DeRosa's squad, but that wasn't a huge shock with how hot fellow center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had been at the dish. The Minnesota Twins outfielder did get in to beef up the defense late.
Now with the Dominicans on deck, and eyes on a championship, DeRosa will be forced to find another starting pitcher if Team USA gets that far. Joe Ryan has changed his plans again.
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Joe Ryan staying in Minnesota Twins camp
Earlier this spring, Joe Ryan was scratched from his Grapefruit League debut due to back inflammation. It wound up not being serious, but he has still thrown just once in game action . He was scheduled to join Team USA with eyes on the championship game, but that won't take place now.
Joe Ryan threw a 23-pitch bullpen session March 14, which he said felt great, but he is no longer expected to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Ryan was in the designated pitcher pool for Team USA, which made him an option to pitch in the March 17 championship game if USA advanced. But Team USA opted to add a one-inning reliever, Toronto's Jeff Hoffman , to the roster for the final two games.
Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune) dropped the report on Saturday afternoon. Ryan's first and only Grapefruit League appearance came on May 10 . Had he pitched on the 17th for Team USA, it would have been on seven days of rest, throwing off a schedule to ramp up for the season.
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Notably, Ryan's velocity was also down nearly 2 mph from where he traditionally sits. Ryan is not a velocity pitcher, but he finds success despite throwing with lesser speed by attacking the top of the zone. If his stuff remains diminished to that point, the margin for error is significantly smaller.
Minnesota is already without Pablo Lopez for the year , and there are serious concerns about Bailey Ober's body as well. It's understandable that Ryan, who was pitching for Team USA in the Olympics when the Twins originally acquired him, would want to represent his country. This MN Twins team already is in a tough spot though for 2026, and not having their top remaining pitcher locked in only makes that worse.
I wasn't a fan of the idea that the Twins were going to let Ryan pitch in the World Baseball Classic given their current predicament. Regardless of who made the decision, this is a better outcome for Minnesota.
Team USA left searching without MN Twins Ryan
Joe Ryan was supposed to take the roster spot of Clayton Kershaw . Logan Webb started the quarterfinal game against Canada, and Paul Skenes will go against the Dominican Republic. Nightengale's quote suggests that Team USA opted for Jeff Hoffman rather than Ryan. If that's the case, it's likely reflective of the understanding as to where Minnesota sees Ryan at currently.
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Nightengale Jr. said on BlueSky , "He's healthy and had a 23-pitch bullpen session today, but Team USA appears to be prioritizing one-inning relievers." That's an interesting development considering the report from his father Bob Nightengale just two days ago.
As things stand, manager Mark DeRosa is short on options for a potential championship game. Likely to face either Japan or Puerto Rico, the Americans would likely need to go back to 24-year-old Nolan McLean . He got hit around by the Italians, and would be in well over his head on such a grand stage.
Sam Antonacci powers another homer for Team Italy! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/ORx2BAJkA8
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 11, 2026
It would be relatively shocking to see DeRosa opt for a bullpen game on that stage as well, so where he pivots could be quite interesting. Both Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd have returned to their expected camps as well. With Hoffman taking a roster spot, all of Team USA's additions have been relievers.
Ryan is still a candidate to start on Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore . However, he'd have made just three total Grapefruit League starts, and not shown much in game action to feel confident about.
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