The Minnesota Twins have a long way to go before becoming championship contenders, but they have an elite asset in starting pitcher Joe Ryan. The 2025 All-Star now has a 3.20 ERA over nine starts this season after allowing one run on four hits over six innings in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ryan added seven strikeouts against just one walk in the outing, and he now has a quality start in five of his last six starts, not counting the outing in which he exited during the first inning with an injury on May 3. 

The Brewers broke the ice when William Contreras hit an RBI infield single in the top of the first, but Ryan didn't allow a baserunner in the next two frames and didn't allow another run for the rest of his night.

The only baserunners Ryan allowed over his last three innings were when Jake Bauers singled in the fourth and David Hamilton walked in the fifth. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder tossed 63 strikes out of 90 pitches.

However, the Twins' bullpen and lineup couldn't close the victory. The score was 1-1 when Minnesota reliever Taylor Rogers threw a scoreless frame in the top of the seventh, and third baseman Royce Lewis followed up with a go-ahead RBI single in the same inning. However, right-hander Andrew Morris gave up the Twins' lead in the eighth when Jackson Chourio scored on an interference play involving Lewis at third and Bauers hit an RBI double. Those were the final scoring plays, and Milwaukee escaped with a 3-2 win.

Friday's game was symbolic of Minnesota's current situation. Ryan is one of its few upper-echelon players, and his teammates couldn't get him the victory when he pitched a gem.

The Twins might want to trade the right-hander as soon as possible. He has a $13 million mutual option for 2027, and he has no reason to accept it when he could sign with a better team for more money on the open market. If the club ships him out this season, it would at least get assets in return for him.

Minnesota is 20-25 after Friday's loss, tied with the Detroit Tigers for third place in the AL Central. It's only four games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first, so it could hold on to Ryan in hopes of rising the ranks.

Up next is a rematch with the Brewers at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.