As it stands right now, besides the questions at second base, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in a peculiar spot. 

With 10 days left until Opening Day, the Dodgers enter the chase for a three-peat with three bona fide starters: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow. and Roki Sasaki. 

Questions loom for the back end of the rotation. Southpaw Blake Snell and Gavin Stone will presumably open the season on the injured list. 

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani will be ramped up slowly, most likely being stretched out for two- to three-inning starts. 

That leaves the Dodgers shifting their gears towards their No. 6-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, River Ryan. 

Ryan underwent major shoulder surgery, which caused his absence throughout the 2025 season. 

He made his return on the mound this Spring in late February and, since then, has posted a 1.86 ERA in four outings in Cactus League play.

Considering where the bricks fall, Ryan is a heavy favorite to begin his 2026 campaign in the Dodgers' starting rotation. 

A few scenarios will play a part in whether the Dodgers decide to take the long road for Ryan's longevity. 

Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan have the upper hand when compared to Ryan's position as a starter. 

They are more experienced as starters for one, and the Dodgers could give Ryan the long reliever role, which Wrobleski and Sheehan have taken part in as well. 

Though a relief option could very well be in Ryan's future, he wants to start and is building up to that. 

"Personally, I think being a starter and coming out -- having a whole prep routine before I get on the mound -- is much better for my body, especially coming off of surgery," Ryan told Dodgers beat reporter Sonja Chen of MLB.com. 

Ryan could very well contribute to the Dodgers' pitching plans this year. But it all falls on how they want to navigate him coming off surgery. 

The right-hander trusts what the Dodgers do, especially when it comes to their pitchers' rehabs. 

"It just seems like they do a good job of taking care of their guys coming off of surgery," Ryan said.

Ryan is open to whatever role the Dodgers need, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, but routine is one aspect Ryan needs to nail down. 

He could nail down a routine with a potential stint down in Triple-A to begin his season. 

The Dodgers will most likely start the season on the traditional five-man rotation quota. Considering the egregious amount of depth the Dodgers have in terms of pitching, Ryan has leverage to be paced. 

Considering everything at large, there is no doubt that Ryan will have a substantial impact on the Dodgers. 

Luckily, the Dodgers have time to establish a solid five-man rotation that will have Ryan heavily in the mix. 

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