Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is back on the mound in Major League Baseball after a grueling rehabilitation process.
The official website of Major League Baseball confirmed the date of Ryu’s return on June 29 (KST), saying, “Ryu will return to the mound against Baltimore next month on June 2.” Ryu will return to the mound for the first time in 426 days after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in his last start against the Chicago White Sox on June 2 last year.
Toronto had originally scheduled Yusei Kikuchi in the starting rotation for today’s game, but switched to Ryu. Toronto has a 17-game homestand without a day off starting on Sept. 29 against the Los Angeles Angels and ending next month on Sept. 14 against the Chicago Cubs, with Ryu starting the second game of a four-game series against Baltimore.
Ryu, who is in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto, has been working hard to rehabilitate in order to continue his major league career. With the exception of a month-long trip to South Korea during the offseason, Ryu has been focused on his rehabilitation and has lost a total of 13 kilograms to slim down his body.
After three bullpen appearances last month, Ryu made four minor league rehabilitation appearances this month, totaling 18 innings with one walk, 16 strikeouts, four runs, and a 2.00 ERA. He walked just one batter in those 18 innings, and his fastball touched 90.8 miles per hour (146.1 km/h).
“The end goal was to get on the mound,” Hyun-jin Ryu said after his return to the major leagues was confirmed. That’s all I thought about during my rehabilitation.” Ryu’s interpreter, Park Jun-sung, said, “Ryu never complained during his seven months of rehabilitation in Florida (team rehabilitation camp). That’s because he has a special goal (to return) in his mind. The dedication he has shown is phenomenal,” said Park, who watched Ryu’s efforts from the sidelines.카지노
Toronto worked hard to get him stronger and fitter and quickly added him to the major league team’s workouts, starting on March 25 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 85 pitches and received a passing grade before returning to the clubhouse. The Dodgers welcomed him back to the clubhouse after throwing 85 pitches.
And finally, his return date has been confirmed. The website said, “When Ryu returns to the starting rotation on June 2, Toronto will go to a six-man starting rotation. After the 17-game road trip, the team could return to a five-man rotation.” Ryu’s return will create a competitive system for the second half of the season.