Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu could signal a healthy return in the second half of the season.
Ryu Hyun-jin underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct ligaments in his elbow last June, beginning a year-long rehabilitation. It was his second elbow surgery since 2004, when he was a student at Dongsan High School, and his first surgical rehabilitation in the major leagues in seven years, following shoulder surgery in May 2015. Ryu broke into the major leagues in 2013 when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, and this is his 11th season. He has a career record of 75-45 with a 3.27 ERA in 175 games.
Ryu signed a four-year, $80 million free-agent contract with Toronto in 2020 to take over the No. 1 starter role, but his contract is coming to an end. Ryu will need to prove himself again in the second half of his career to earn a seat at the next contract negotiation table. These games are more important than ever for the 36-year-old veteran.
In his first appearance on the mound in nearly a year, Hyun-jin Ryu threw three innings of four-hit ball, striking out five and walking four in a Rookie League game on Friday. After throwing 42 pitches that day, Ryu is expected to pitch in a Single-A game on the 10th and gradually increase his pitch count. If his rehab goes smoothly, he could return to the major leagues as soon as this month.
After the All-Star Game on June 12, the second half of the Major League Baseball season begins on June 15, and Ryu will have about 10 late-season appearances to pick up a few wins. When the Sportime YouTube community was asked to pick a win total for Ryu, more than 85,000 fans chimed in with their predictions within two days.
About 60 percent of fans predicted two to three wins, saying, “There’s luck involved in winning.” This is because Ryu may not be able to throw a lot of pitches as soon as he finishes his rehabilitation, so it may be difficult for him to get a lot of run support early on. The next largest group, 24%, predicted 4-5 wins, saying, “A healthy Ryu will show off his strength.”
Sixteen percent of fans are rooting for six or more wins, hoping that Ryu will find his prime form and make it to free agency. The elbow surgery is a huge risk for pitchers, but Ryu shrugged it off and came back healthy and led the National League in ERA in 2019. 메이저토토사이트
Fans wrote, “There were days when I was happy in the morning because of Ryu Hyun-jin. I’m rooting for a comeback,” and “The number of wins should actually be a matter of team luck. ERA and innings pitched are more important,” and “I want to see Ryu in the major leagues for a long time to come.”
Ryu met with Sports Illustrated at spring training in February, when he was rehabbing, and said, “There is no pain. I don’t have any problems with my body,” and “I’m not worried about elbow surgery because so many players have done it. I’ve also had shoulder surgery,” and expressed confidence in his rehabilitation. The operating table at age 35. Can Ryu return to his old form as amazingly as his nickname “Monster”?