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The Minnesota Twins have placed right-hander Joe Ryan on the 15-day injured list (reported by Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune). An MRI revealed that Ryan has a mild left glute strain. This diagnosis brings some relief compared to the ominous arm fatigue reported in late July. However, the injury sheds light on a sudden decline in his effectiveness. The Twins are barely holding on to postseason aspirations. Losing a reliable starter dramatically decreases their chances. Post-All-Star Break Struggle Before the All-Star break, Ryan was a steady force on the mound. he earned his second All-Star nod with a 2.85 ERA. Yet, the since the All-Star game, Ryan has not looked the same and the answer might have just been found. Over his last 15.1 innings, Ryan gave up 17 runs (16 earned) and only struck out 10 of the 73 batters he faced. This strikeout rate is terrible, especially compared to his over 25% strikeout rate before the All-Star break. This glute strain perfectly shows this drastic regression. Lower-half instability often forces pitchers to overcompensate with their arms. This leads to the arm fatigue previously cited. This injury was most evident in his velocity drop. During his last outing, against the Kansas City Royals, his fastball averaged just 92.1 mph. This was a noticeable drop from his 93.4 mph season average. Without that high-ride velocity, his margin for error vanished. In a previous outing against a contact-heavy Cleveland Guardians lineup, he surrendered six home runs. Cleveland is second to last in home runs, just ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Rotation Moving Forward Without Ryan, the Twins’ rotation is in a dangerous position. The starting staff was already stretched thin. Minnesota is turning to Zebby Matthews to fill the void. Matthews is being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take the mound. He will likely have to pitch three games to make up for Ryan’s 15 day minimum break. Matthews possesses upside and recently struck out 10 batters in a July 31st start against the Seattle Mariners. However, he is now in his third major league season and has struggled with a career 5.64 ERA. Relying on a pitcher who has historically lacked big-league consistency to eat meaningful innings in a tight playoff race is a recipe for disaster for a contending team. Impact on October This injury severely compresses the Twins’ postseason ceiling. Minnesota currently has a 26.6% chance of making the postseason, as per Fangraphs. Their offense is middle-of-the-pack overall but can go off for bursts. This streakiness may be their only shot at making the postseason. The starting rotation simply lacks the depth to absorb the loss of a premier swing-and-miss arm. If Ryan’s lower half does not heal fully in the 15 days on the IL, the Twins will face a massive uphill battle. Even their best potential offense might not mask the pitching woes faced while Ryan is out. Tap Here To Add Sportsnaut As A Trusted Source on Google