Joe Ryan says he cannot physically execute his delivery and is not 100 percent

Joe Ryan told reporters Tuesday that he is not 100 percent and cannot physically execute his delivery, per Minnesota Twins beat reporter Dan Hayes. The admission, made in the Twins clubhouse, signals an ongoing physical issue for the right-hander — and raises immediate questions about what comes next for a Minnesota rotation already navigating a difficult stretch of the calendar.

What happened

Ryan's exchange with reporters, as relayed by Dan Hayes on X, was brief but pointed. When asked whether his recent struggles were mechanical in nature, Ryan said that was probably part of it, but added that he does not know what is necessarily causing that side of it. When pressed on whether he feels physically capable of executing his delivery, his answer was unambiguous: no, definitely not.

Hayes noted that Ryan's struggles dampened the upbeat mood in the Twins clubhouse on Tuesday, and that Ryan indicated he is not 100 percent — with the word "again" appearing in Hayes's framing, doing a fair amount of quiet work. That phrasing suggests this is not a new development so much as a continuing one, though the nature of the physical issue has not been specified in what Hayes reported.

This is not a club announcement, a transaction, or a placement on any list. It is a player's own words, reported by Hayes, describing a physical limitation that is affecting his ability to pitch. What the Twins do with that information — and when — remains unconfirmed.

Why it matters

A starting pitcher who says he cannot physically execute his delivery is, by his own account, not in a position to perform his job at full capacity. That is a meaningful operational signal regardless of what the underlying issue turns out to be.

For Minnesota, the timing compounds the difficulty. The Twins are already eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, which means the competitive stakes of any individual start have shifted. But that does not make roster and health decisions simpler — if anything, it adds a layer of complexity around how aggressively to manage a pitcher who is openly acknowledging a physical limitation. The question of whether Ryan continues to take the ball, moves to the injured list, or sees some other roster adjustment is entirely unresolved based on what Hayes reported.

The general mechanics of the 15-day injured list for pitchers exist as a tool the club could deploy, though nothing in Hayes's reporting indicates any such move is imminent or under consideration. That is a distinction worth preserving: Ryan said he is not 100 percent; the Twins have not announced anything.

Where the club stands

Minnesota sits at 77-85 (.475), third in the AL Central, 8 games back in the division. Their Wild Card position is rank 7, sitting 7.0 games relative to the cut line — a gap that, combined with elimination from both the division and Wild Card races, frames the remainder of the season as something other than a playoff push. The Twins enter Wednesday on a one-game winning streak, a small uptick in a season the standings describe plainly enough.

The schedule ahead does not offer any particular relief from the broader narrative. Wednesday's game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City lists Dean Kremer against Noah Cameron as the probable pitchers. Thursday, also in Kansas City, has Bailey Ober lined up against Michael Wacha. The series then shifts to Milwaukee on Friday, where Zebby Matthews is the probable starter against Shane Drohan at American Family Field.

Ryan does not appear in any of those three upcoming probable pitcher slots, which is notable context — though it is worth being precise: those probables reflect the schedule as currently constructed, and his absence from them is not a reported decision about his availability or status. It is simply what the rotation card shows right now.

For a team playing out the string in the AL Central, the pressure to rush a decision in either direction is lower than it would be in a pennant race. That is cold comfort for Ryan, who by his own account is dealing with something that is limiting him in a fundamental way, but it does mean the organization has some room to be deliberate about next steps. Whether they use it that way is, for now, unknown.

What we don't know yet

Ryan's own words establish that something physical is affecting him, but the nature of that issue has not been reported. He said he does not know what is necessarily causing it, which is either a carefully hedged answer or a genuinely uncertain one — possibly both.

There is no reporting on whether the Twins plan to place Ryan on the injured list, skip his next start, or take some other course of action. There is no timetable, no diagnosis, and no club statement. What exists is a player's candid acknowledgment, reported by Dan Hayes, that he is not physically capable of doing what his job requires right now.

The word "again" in Hayes's framing implies some prior episode or prior acknowledgment of not being fully healthy, but the specifics of that history are not detailed in the material Hayes reported.

What to watch

### Is Joe Ryan expected to make his next start?

Based on what Dan Hayes reported, that question does not yet have a public answer. Ryan said he cannot physically execute his delivery and is not 100 percent. The Twins have not announced a roster move or a change to his role. Until the club says something or Hayes reports further, his status remains genuinely open.

The upcoming series — two games in Kansas City, then a trip to Milwaukee — will clarify things quickly. If Ryan's name does not appear in a rotation slot and a corresponding roster move follows, that will be the next data point. If the Twins run him back out there, that will be its own kind of answer, and probably not the last word on the subject either.

The desk will be watching for any club statement, a roster transaction, or further reporting from Hayes that sheds light on what is actually limiting Ryan and how long it has been doing so. Right now, the most complete account available is the one Ryan himself offered: something is wrong, he is not sure exactly what, and he knows he cannot pitch through it the way he needs to.