It was a tense few days for Twins fans, but the news on starting pitcher Joe Ryan is about as good as it gets. After leaving Sunday's game in the first inning with right elbow soreness, the team received a major sigh of relief on Tuesday.

Imaging taken shortly after Ryan exited the game revealed no structural damage to his elbow—a best-case scenario that had the pitcher and the organization breathing easier. "Definitely a lot of emotions going through the last couple days," Ryan admitted. "But yeah, it felt really good just to throw the baseball, and it felt comfortable coming out of my hand."

Ryan played catch at Nationals Park on Tuesday, and if all goes well during a scheduled bullpen session on Wednesday, he could still make his next start this weekend in Cleveland against the Guardians. That's a remarkable turnaround for a player who initially signaled to the dugout after feeling discomfort on a few pitches to Toronto's Kazuma Okamoto. After a quick chat with manager Derek Shelton and a trainer, Ryan exited the game immediately.

The pitcher underwent a rapid evaluation with team doctor Chris Camp, followed by an MRI almost right away. "It was quick," Ryan recalled. "The longest I probably thought about it was while I was hanging out in the tube." He noted that while he didn't feel extreme pain, past injuries have taught him that results don't always match how he feels. "I think this time around having good results was obviously a win-win and reassuring."

This positive development comes at a crucial time for the Twins, who are already without top-of-the-rotation starter Pablo López for the season and have Mick Abel on the injured list. Ryan's potential return without missing a start would be a massive boost to a pitching staff that needs all the stability it can get.

Shelton remains cautiously optimistic, noting that Wednesday's bullpen session will be the next big test. "The eternal pessimist in me is saying I'm going to wait until we get through (Wednesday) and go," he said. "But (Tuesday) was a really good sign because he threw well. He was able to throw his breaking balls and didn't feel anything. Overall, we're trending in the right direction."

For now, the Twins will take a deep breath and watch closely as Ryan takes the mound for his bullpen. If all goes as planned, fans can expect to see their ace back on the rubber this weekend, ready to lead the charge against a division rival.