Joe Ryan struck by comebacker, departs early as Twins fall to Cleveland

Sep. 14—Joe Ryan didn't even wait until manager Rocco Baldelli and head trainer Michael Salazar made it to the mound. There was nothing for them to discuss — he was coming out of the game.

Seconds after being struck flush on the right wrist by a Myles Straw batted ball traveling at 92.7 miles per hour, Ryan took himself out of the game, walking straight off the mound. As he reached the first-base dugout, the rookie slammed his glove down in frustration with his left hand. He threw his hat down next before disappearing into the tunnel that leads to the Twins' clubhouse.

X-rays were negative, Baldelli revealed after the game, which the Twins dropped 3-1 to Cleveland at Target Field, and after it was all said and done, Ryan was more upset by his reaction than anything else.

"I should've handled that more professionally," he said. "I probably shouldn't have thrown my glove with my left hand. I think that sets a bad example. I should have been a little more professional about that."

But the rookie can surely be forgiven for losing his composure briefly during a moment of shock.

Minutes after the game ended, he was already anticipating a call from his dad, to "give me some (expletive)." After all, when throwing bullpens growing up, Kurtis Ryan, his father, used to rip tennis balls back at him to prepare him for such situations.

Ryan, who had thrown five innings of one-run ball when he was struck, said it was the first time anything injury-related had happened to him on the field. Unable to field the ball with his right hand, he figured since he wasn't going to pitch anymore, he should just go straight inside.

Thankfully for the Twins, the injury seems to not be as severe as they once feared, with Ryan saying he was "not worried," about it.

"Those are tough moments. You do hold your breath," Baldelli said. "You are waiting to really see what you find out. There's really nothing we can do to affect anything at this point except wait, see how he is."

After going inside, Ryan had his wrist scanned, got some treatment and had it wrapped up. There's a seam mark on it from the ball that Ryan said would be "kind of cool to look at for a couple of days."

As for a return to the mound, Ryan said his wrist was stiff, though not he wasn't in too much pain. But he acknowledged it's probably not going to be him who ends up making that decision.

After Ryan's departure on Tuesday, Cleveland pulled ahead in the seventh inning, scoring a pair of runs off reliever Danny Coulombe to take the first game of the doubleheader.

The Twins' offense scored just once in the loss off Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie as Andrelton Simmons brought home Ben Rortvedt with a double in the third inning. On the play, Cleveland left fielder Harold Ramirez dove for the ball, missed it and slipped while trying to get back up as it went past him.