Joe Ryan, MN Twins Shook Up Over Team USA Snub

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Joe Ryan - Minnesota Twins
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On Monday, Joe Ryan made his second Spring Training start of they year, six days removed from his 2026 exhibition debut, March 10. Of course, Joe’s first start was supposed to be February 22, the Twins’ first Grapefruit League game of the spring against the Boston Red Sox.

That was before tightness in his back pregame resulted in the 29-year-old being scratched from the lineup just 15 minutes before first pitch. Not only did the injury cost Ryan a few warmup games, it also cost him his spot in the Team USA starting rotation at the World Baseball Classic.

Joe Ryan strung along, eventually snubbed by Team USA

After he got back on the mound last week, however, Ryan thought he was set to join the Americans, in Houston, for the start of WBC knockout play. In fact, on Thursday, American manager Mark DeRosa announced that Joe would be joining the team and that he was even in the running to pitch for Team USA in the Championship game.

“Joe will be ready for the 17th if and when we make it to the championship. So it will be a little Nolan McLean/Joe Ryan situation there. And we’ll figure that out.”

Mark DeRosa – via The Athletic

But by the time Sunday rolled around, and Team USA pulled out a nailbiter vs the Dominican Republic to advance to the Championship game vs Venezuela tonight, in Miami, Joe Ryan was informed that he was no longer on the American call-up list.

To make matters worse, DeRosa didn’t notify Ryan or the Twins of his change in pitching plans until two days after reliever — and former Twins Spring Training non-roster invitee — Trevor Hoffman had already been added to the roster.

Minnesota Twins ace devastated by WBC snub

How did Joe react to the news? Not well… and the Twins, who had made plans around their ace pitcher leaving Fort Myers, weren’t happy either.

“From our vantage point, as an organization, we were very much encouraging him to play,” Twins Manager Derek Shelton said on March 14. “He very much wanted to play. We set up his entire [pitching schedule] for that. We were informed last night that they were going in a different direction.

“It was the USA WBC team’s call, not the Twins or Joe Ryan’s call. We had prepared for him to play in this next round.”

Derek Shelton – via Star Tribune

“That was a shock. Definitely a weird one to process. I was fully prepared, ready to go, the car was all ready, and excited to go there, obviously, the whole time. Then was told I wasn’t going to go.”

“I was thrilled all offseason to be on the team. I was looking forward to that. To have a little bit of a setback was tough, and to work as hard as the Twins did, and myself, to get back there, and then have the rug pulled out from under us at the end is tough.”

Joe Ryan – Star Tribune

DeRosa’s handling of Joe Ryan adds more reason to scrutinize his place on the world baseball stage, after he seemingly managed a Team USA’s final pool play game against Italy without knowing that a loss could result in the Americans’ WBC elimination.

What’s next for Team USA, Joe Ryan and MN Twins?

Even more interesting, it was 24-year-old start Nolan McLean who lost that game. Now, he’ll go tonight, instead of Ryan. Hopefully that doesn’t backfire, as well.

Meanwhile, Joe Ryan threw four innings of great baseball for the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. His velocity was up, and he struck out six while allowing only a single run.

Without a doubt, he will start Opening Day in Baltimore on March 26th, assuming he’s ready for full duty by then..

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