▲ In this Getty Images file photo from March 5, 2021, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball spring training game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. (Yonhap)
▲ In this Getty Images file photo from March 5, 2021, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays (R) and his catcher, Danny Jansen, walk out to the field at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, before a Major League Baseball spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles. (Yonhap)
▲ In this file photo from July 25, 2013, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers (R) peeks through the door while Choo Shin-soo of the Cincinnati Reds speaks at a press conference before their game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Yonhap)
▲ In this July 26, 2013, file photo provided by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Choo Shin-soo of the Cincinnati Reds (L) and Ryu Hyun-jin of the Dodgers share a laugh in the dugout at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

MLB pitcher-S Korean player

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin misses MLB veteran gone to KBO

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- Former Texas Rangers All-Star Choo Shin-soo hasn't even been gone for a month from the majors, and Ryu Hyun-jin, his compatriot pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, misses him already.

Choo ended his 16-year major league career on Feb. 23 by signing with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). After joining the Seattle Mariners out of high school in 2000 and making his big league debut in 2005, Choo, 38, will be playing pro ball in his native country for the first time.

And Ryu, who spent seven seasons in the KBO before taking his talent across the Pacific, said he wishes Choo were still around.

"He's been playing baseball here for 20 years, and I think it's going to be difficult to make adjustments (to the KBO)," Ryu said in a Zoom session following an intrasquad game in Dunedin, Florida, on Wednesday (local time). "Obviously, he'll be the most senior guy there, but there will still be parts of Korean baseball that he'll have to get used to. It would have been better if we'd both played in the majors together for a few more years."

Ryu held Choo to 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout in the majors.

As for his own future after the big leagues, Ryu, 33, said, "Right now, I have to do the best I can here. Then I'll think about (a return to the KBO) later."

His immediate focus is on increasing his workload for the start of the regular season on April 1. Instead of facing the American League (AL) East division foes Baltimore Orioles in a spring training game Wednesday, Ryu pitched in an intrasquad game.

Ryu threw 50 pitches over three innings and faced such Blue Jays regulars as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Marcus Semien. Ryu made an additional 15 pitches in the bullpen.

In his first spring training game on the weekend, Ryu threw 30 pitches in two innings against the Orioles and another 15 pitches in the bullpen.

Ryu said he is progressing nicely and is right where he wants to be in terms of his pitch count and workload. He said he'd like to get stretched out to a point where he'll be able to handle 100 pitches and six to seven innings before the regular season.

There was also logic behind the decision not to face the Orioles for the second time in spring. The two clubs will go up against each other 19 times during the regular season, and Ryu doesn't need to give the O's any more early looks than necessary.

"I think it's better for pitchers to avoid divisional opponents as much as possible (during spring training)," Ryu said. "Things may be different for other pitchers. Personally, my focus during spring training is on pitch count and innings."

Barring any unforeseen event, Ryu will take the mound against the New York Yankees in the Bronx to begin the season on April 1.

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