There was nothing unusual about Joe Ryan on Monday afternoon. The right-hander took the ball at Hammond Stadium, worked four innings, allowed a single run on five hits, and struck out six with one walk. It looked like a standard March outing, the kind that blends into the rhythm of spring training. Except it wasn’t supposed to happen there.
Ryan’s latest appearance came against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Fort Myers, not under the lights in Miami at the World Baseball Classic championship. For weeks leading up to this, the expectation was that Ryan would factor into Team USA’s pitching plans deep into the tournament. Instead, as events unfolded, he was left watching as the roster shifted in a different direction. The decision caught him off guard.
“That was a shock,” Ryan told the Star Tribune. “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.”
The path to that moment had been anything but straightforward. Back in December, Ryan was originally named to Team USA’s roster as part of a loaded pitching staff assembled for a title run. However, a bout of back inflammation during spring training altered his early availability, keeping him out of pool play but leaving the door open for a return in the knockout rounds as the spring progressed.
As Team USA advanced through the tournament, that opportunity seemed likely to materialize. At one point, Manager Mark DeRosa even indicated publicly that Ryan could step in for Clayton Kershaw if the team reached the later rounds, potentially pitching in the championship mix.
Instead, when it came time to finalize the roster for the later rounds, Team USA ultimately used its available spot on reliever Jeff Hoffman, prioritizing bullpen depth over inserting Ryan into a starting role. This decision, made near the championship stage, left Ryan on the outside looking in, although his throwing schedule was carefully built around the possibility of pitching in the final.
Adding to the frustration was the timing and method of communication. Ryan said he first learned of the roster change through Twins leadership shortly after the decision, not Team USA directly, and didn’t hear from USA Baseball until days later. Still, he made it clear where the support came from.
“The Twins were great, super supportive with a really good plan the whole time,” Ryan said. “They really wanted me to go. It wasn’t up to us at the end of the day.”
From Minnesota’s perspective, there is at least a practical silver lining. The organization had adjusted Ryan’s spring workload to align with a potential WBC appearance, and now that plan rolls seamlessly into the regular season. He remains on track to start Opening Day in Baltimore, a role that carries its own weight even if it lacks the global spotlight.
It is a strange baseball reality. One week, you are penciled into a potential championship game for your country. The next, you are back on a spring mound facing a split-squad lineup. For Ryan, the preparation never changed. The opportunity did.
Joe Ryan Timeline for World Baseball Classic
Dec. 17: Team USA announces that Ryan will be on its roster.
Feb. 21: Ryan is scratched from his Grapefruit League debut due to back discomfort.
Mar. 1: Ryan throws a bullpen session but is removed from consideration for the round robin portion of the tournament.
Mar. 10: Ryan makes his 2026 game debut for the Twins.
Mar. 12: Mark DeRosa says Ryan and Nolan McLean could pitch in some combination during the championship game.
Mar. 13: Team USA adds reliever Jeff Hoffman to the roster instead of Ryan.
Mar. 14: Ryan throws a bullpen session, and the Twins confirm he will remain in camp.
Mar. 15: Ryan makes his second spring start for Minnesota.