Fact Check: Did Joe Ryan leave his team for a Grateful Dead concert? Twins pitcher’s Instagram story raises questions

While posting to Instagram has brought fans closer to their favorite athletes and celebrities, it has also sparked numerous controversies, something that Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan is experiencing.

The starting pitcher posted a picture of a Grateful Dead concert in San Francisco, however, by the time he posted the photo to his story, the Minnesota Twins were up in Seattle. This led some fans to speculate that Joe Ryan remained away from the team to attend the show.

"joe ryan is still in San Francisco at a Grateful Dead concert lmaoooo" - @MVPrielipp

However, this has since been debunked by fans on Twitter and Reddit, as according to those in attendance, his photo was taken during Sunday night's concert.

At the time, the Minnesota Twins were wrapping up their series with the Oakland Athletics, who play across the bay from Oracle Park, which was the setting of the show.

While fans were quick to jump to the conclusion that Ryan had remained away from the club, there has been evidence to suggest that the photo was taken on Sunday night and posted to his account at a later date.

"That concert ended days ago, I know cause I worked it" - @mory_cleeks

While there is a possibility that Ryan could have been given permission by the club to remain in San Francisco for the concert, this was not the case here. The talented pitcher actually started Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics, which was prior to the concert in question. So, it was simply a night off after a start for the Twins starter.

"@Twins is Joe Ryan going to the last @deadandcompany show after pitching today? I will look for him on the live stream@nugsnet don’t miss it!" - @jlerollblues

Joe Ryan emerged as a star for the Twins since his debut in 2021

The former seventh-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in 2021 a trade that sent slugger Nelson Cruz to Florida.

After appearing in only 26.2 innings for the Twins near the end of the 2021 campaign, Joe Ryan was named as a member of the starting rotation for the 2022 season, where he enjoyed a true breakout.

At 26 years old, Ryan posted a 13-8 record with a 3.55 ERA in his first full season in the majors. Since that time, he has continued that momentum, posting an 8-6 record with a 3.77 ERA this season, while also racking up 131 strikeouts in the process.