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| ▲ In this Getty Images file photo from June 1, 2022, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Chicago White Sox during a Major League Baseball regular season game at Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This Getty Images file photo from Feb. 22, 2023, shows Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin during a team photo day in Dunedin, Florida. (Yonhap) |
MLB-pitcher
Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin throws scoreless rehab start in minors
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays has inched closer to a return to the majors from elbow surgery, thanks to another encouraging rehab start in the minors.
Pitching for the Blue Jays' Single-A affiliate, Dunedin Blue Jays, Ryu tossed four shutout innings against the Tampa Tarpons, under the New York Yankees, at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Sunday (local time).
The South Korean left-hander threw 37 pitches, 27 for strikes. He allowed three hits and struck out one, without walking anyone.
This was the second minor league rehab game for Ryu, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in June 2022 and is now targeting a return following the All-Star break this week. Last Tuesday, Ryu gave up a run over three innings in a Rookie ball game in Florida.
Against the Tarpons, Ryu retired the first two batters in the first inning. Ben Rice then doubled to left field but was thrown out at third, trying to stretch it to a triple.
Ryu pitched a three-up, three-down inning in the second, and then retired the side in order in the third inning on three groundballs.
Jared Serna reached on an error to begin the fourth inning for the Tarpons, but Ryu got Jesus Rodriguez to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.
Ryu then allowed back-to-back singles but struck out Brenny Escanio to cap off his day.
The big league Blue Jays wrapped up their first half of the season with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Following the short midseason break, the regular season will resume Friday.
At 50-41, the Blue Jays are in third place in the ultra-competitive American League (AL) East, seven back of the leaders, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays are holding down the third and final wild card spot in the AL, one game ahead of their division rivals, the New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays have the sixth-best starting pitching ERA in the AL at 3.98.
Ryu is in the final year of his four-year, US$80 million contract with the Blue Jays.
In the 2020 season, reduced to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryu went 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 starts and finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting. His ERA ballooned to 4.37 in 2021, when he was 14-10 in 31 starts and pitched to a 5.50 ERA in the second half.
Then in 2022, Ryu made only six starts before shutting things down to undergo elbow surgery. He finished with a 2-0 record and a 5.67 ERA.
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