The ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (36-Toronto Blue Jays) will make his second start after a successful first outing. Ryu is taking his steps steadily, which means his comeback is going well.
US media outlet Roto Baller reported on August 8, “Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is scheduled to make his second start of the season on August 10 (noon ET on August 9) at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, USA. Ryu, who recently underwent elbow ligament splicing surgery (Tommy John surgery), threw three innings in his first career start. He struck out five batters and allowed one run.” “Toronto manager John Schneider said he expects Ryu to pitch about four innings this time around.”
“Hyun Jin Ryu will make his next rehab start on Sunday in the FSL against the Tampa Taftons (affiliated with the New York Yankees) in Single-A ball,” Caitlin McGrath of The Athletic reported on the same day. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet also reported on the same day, “Hyun Jin Ryu, who is currently rehabbing from surgery, will pitch in the Florida State League on Tuesday. He is expected to pitch three to four innings, according to manager John Schneider.” (Hyun Jin Ryu will pitch in the Florida State League this Sunday. The left-hander’s slated for about 3-4 innings)”.메이저사이트
Ryu Hyun-jin is on track to return to the big leagues. Ryu threw his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 5. He pitched three innings against the FCL Tigers of the American Association of Minor League Baseball at the Toronto club’s spring training facility, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts. He faced a total of 13 batters to test his health. It had been 398 days, or about a year and a month, since Ryu had pitched.
In the first inning, Ryu was hit by back-to-back doubles to start the inning. In the second inning, he gave up a leadoff double to put runners in scoring position, but showed his crisis management skills by retiring the next three batters. In the third inning, he gave up a hit, but finished with three strikeouts. His total pitch count was 42. His fastball reached 88 mph (141.6 km/h).
Ryu will make his second start in five days on four days’ rest. This time, it was a step up to Single-A. That’s how smooth his recovery has been. Ryu was sidelined early after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery last June. He spent the next year rehabbing. So far, everything is going well. He made his first bullpen pitch in late May. At the time, a photo of Ryu was released on Toronto’s official social networking site, and it drew a lot of attention because it showed him looking thinner than in the past. According to manager John Schneider, Ryu had lost nearly 30 pounds (about 13.6 kilograms).
In June, Ryu threw two live pitches with batters standing up. He then threw three innings in a simulated game. He made his first Rookie League start on June 5 and is scheduled to make a Single-A start on June 10. At this rate, he is expected to gradually increase his pitch count as he moves up to the higher levels of the league, including Double-A and Triple-A games.
Local media in Canada have also been very interested in Ryu’s progress. After his first start on May 5, the Toronto Sun wrote, “Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent Tommy John surgery, pitched well in his first live appearance. He is taking strong steps in the right direction. If he continues to take the same steps, he could return to the majors in late July. That would be a huge boost to Toronto’s weak bullpen.”
Ryu is in his fourth year with Toronto after signing with the organization in December 2019. Through 88 games this season, Toronto is 48-40 and in third place in the American League East. They are eight games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays, but a wild card berth is still within reach. Can Ryu join the team in the second half and serve as an upside engine?