“It will be interesting to see how Toronto’s starting rotation will operate once Hyun-jin Ryu returns.”
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin 메이저놀이터 주소 Ryu is taking steps toward his return. The right-hander will start for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons against the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens (affiliated with the Detroit Tigers) on Saturday (April 16) at Salmon Field in Buffalo, New York.
Keegan Mathieson, MLB.com’s Toronto beat reporter, wrote on social media on Friday, “Ryu will throw 65 pitches. If all goes well, he could make one or two more starts in Triple-A. This is the most important step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
Ryu made his first post-surgery appearance on May 5 against the FCL Tigers, the Detroit Tigers’ minor league affiliate. In his first action in 398 days, he pitched three innings, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts.
On Oct. 10, he started a home game against the Single-A Florida State League’s Tampa Bay Tarpon (affiliated with the New York Yankees) at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. Threw four innings of three-hit ball, striking out one and walking none. Threw 27 strikes out of 37 total pitches. His fastball reached 88.4 mph.
Toronto is currently in third place in the American League East with a 51-41 record. They are 6.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and five games behind the second-place Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are third in the wild card standings and are within striking distance of a postseason berth.
Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassett, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi remain in the starting lineup. Opening Day starter Alec Manoa has been retooling in the minors as he has lost some of the momentum and form that made him a sensation last year, finishing third in the American League Cy Young Award voting. He made his comeback start against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 8 and bounced back with six innings of five-hit, eight-strikeout, one-run ball.
For now, Jose Berrios will start the first three games of the second half against the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi.
But for now, Toronto’s rotation is only as good as the return of Ryu Hyun-jin. Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, Ryu’s career and class are undeniable. Despite the fact that his fastball topped out at just over 140 mph in his last start, “He’s not about velocity. He’s going to be an integral part of the starting rotation based on his command,” emphasizing that Ryu’s pitches will be an important factor in his return. Indeed, in his last outing, Ryu needed just 37 pitches in four innings to get through the first two innings.
“It will be interesting to see what the Jays’ starting rotation looks like when Ryu is ready to return,” said Blue Jays Nation, which covers Toronto news, “He pitched well in his two starts in the Florida complex and low Single-A. If he returns, the team could go to a six-man rotation or move one of the starters to the bullpen to serve as a hybrid multi-inning pitcher.” He predicts that Ryu will remain in the starting rotation and other pitchers will change roles.
Even after taking a year off, Ryu reaffirmed his status as a stalwart of Toronto’s starting rotation, but also reminded us that someone could fall out of the rotation. Kikuchi, who is 7-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 18 starts but hasn’t been reliable, and Manoa, who showed signs of resurgence in his last outing but has yet to inspire confidence, could find themselves in different positions depending on Ryu’s return.