▲ This photo shows Toronto Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin. [USA TODAY/REUTERS=Yonhap News] 

 

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- The Toronto Blue Jays announced on the 6th (KST) that they will play their home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, home of the minor league Triple-A team Buffalo Bisons starting in June.

 

"The club’s goal has always been to return to play on home soil as soon as it is safe to do so and until then, the team will play its home games at Sahlen Field." Toronto said, "To prepare Sahlen Field for MLB regular season home games with fans under COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Blue Jays and Bisons are undertaking a jointly funded renovation project."

 

The Blue Jays, the only MLB club with its home stadium in Canada, has not been able to play in Toronto since last season in the wake of the spread of the corona virus.

 

Last year, Canada ordered all arrivals to the country be quarantined for two weeks, and the measure has yet to be lifted.

 

The Toronto club used Sahlen Field as a temporary home ground last season. Ryu Hyun-jin, who joined Toronto in 2020, has never stepped on the mound of Rogers Center, his home stadium.

 

This year, the Blue Jays are playing home at TD Ballpark, Florida, a spring camp facility, and decided to change their home stadium to Sahlen Field due to high temperatures in the summer.

 

With the Blue Jays changing its temporary home field, their ace Ryu Hyun-jin is expected to be prepared.

 

Sahlen Field is bordered by Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, and is known to be very windy.

 

Usually, winds of 4.5 meters per second blow from the right fielder to the left fielder, which had a considerable impact on Ryu Hyun-jin last year.

 

Throwing a body-side ball against the right-handed batter, the opposing right-handed hitters responded with a pull. Batted balls such as outfield fly often lead to home runs by wind.

 

Ryu was unable to effectively compete against right-handed batters at Sahlen Field.

 

 

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