GH writers apparently decided they had milked all the drama they could out of Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom) since he faced a grim fate at the end of his own run.

Source: https://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2023/general-hospital-spoilers-heather-escapes-to-steal-ace-esmes-baby-at-risk-outside-spring-ridge/

Hospital (GH) spoilers reveal that Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) has been growing concerned about how isolated Esme Prince (Avery Pohl) is.

Source: https://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2023/general-hospital-spoilers-esme-befriends-cyrus-dangerous-duo-spells-trouble-for-ace/

Spencer feels guilty for letting Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom) use him along with Esme, so maybe saving Nikolas down the road could offer a chance at redemption.

Source: https://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2023/general-hospital-spoilers-nikolas-held-prisoner-after-waking-up-esmes-captor-gets-taste-of-his-own-medicine/