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Twins’ Joe Ryan gets MRI, has lower back inflammation

By Thomson Reuters Feb 22, 2026 | 10:08 AM

Minnesota Twins All-Star right-hander Joe Ryan is nursing inflammation in ​his lower back ‌after being scratched from his spring training start on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan underwent ‌an ​MRI and ⁠revealed the news ⁠on Sunday, two days after the team announced right-hander Pablo Lopez will ​undergo Tommy John surgery this week ⁠and miss ⁠the entire 2026 ​season.

“I didn’t do any ​deep dives and don’t have ‌Twitter. … I’m sorry to scare everyone,” Ryan told reporters on ⁠Sunday.

Ryan, 29, agreed to a $6.2 million contract to avoid arbitration.

He ⁠posted ‌a 13-10 record ⁠with a career-best ​3.42 ‌ERA and 194 ​strikeouts in ⁠31 appearances (30 starts) last season. He made his first career All-Star Game last summer.

–Field Level ​Media