“The return of Hyun-jin Ryu (36-Toronto Blue Jays) and Chad Green has boosted the pitching staff.”
The Jays Journal, which covers Toronto, recently commented on Ryu.
“Many fans in Toronto were disappointed with the team’s quiet moves before the trade deadline,” the publication wrote, “but the return of Ryu and Green has boosted the pitching staff. Ryu has yet to pitch more than five innings, but he has a 2.65 ERA in 34 innings since joining the rotation. Green has also overcome a rough comeback to throw two scoreless innings in his most recent start.”
“Toronto has done well in the absence of Matt Chapman and Bo Bissett recently with rookies David Schneider, Spencer Horvitz, Ernie Clement, and Mason McCoy.”
In fact, Toronto fans were disappointed with the team at midseason. The team spent the trade deadline quietly, with no significant reinforcements, at a time when they could have made a run at the postseason. In fact, Toronto acquired reliever Jordan Hicks and infielder Paul DeJongh, neither of whom were significant enough to be claimed off waivers as soon as Bissett returned. Fans were bound to be frustrated.
After much fanfare, Toronto is cruising and improving its chances of making the postseason. As of Tuesday, the Jays are 79-63 on the season, tied for the second wild-card spot with the Seattle Mariners. They remain within striking distance of the fourth-place Texas Rangers (77-64), with 1.5 games in hand, and Ryu is in the mix.
Ryu returned to the big leagues about 15 months after being sidelined with Tommy John surgery last June to repair ligaments in his elbow. He has been a steady fixture in the starting rotation, starting on May 2 against the Baltimore Orioles. On the season, he is 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in seven starts, with 28 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched.
Toronto’s starting rotation has been energized by the return of Hyun-jin Ryu. Last year’s American League Cy Young Award runner-up, Alex Manoah, was sent down to Triple-A after struggling with injuries, leaving a void that Ryu has filled well with his timely return from rehab.
There have been many times this season where Manoa has been a cold, hard question mark or a negative, but Ryu is different. He may not be as perfect as he was in his prime, but he’s still pitching every game. He’s also made some impressive pitches that have helped his team win games. 메이저놀이터
The local media has also been positive about Ryu’s performance since his return. MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, wrote on August 8, “Usually, pitchers who receive Tommy John surgery take a long time to get back on track. But Ryu is different. He’s been performing well, filling a gap in Toronto’s rotation (with Manoa out). If he continues to perform as well as he has, he will be able to secure a multi-year contract in free agency, which has seemed out of reach.”
Meanwhile, if the current Toronto starting rotation is anything to go by, Hyun-jin Ryu will start against the Texas Rangers in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 13th. He is expected to start against the legendary Max Scherzer.
Especially recently, Toronto has been in a tight postseason race with Texas. Ryu has been revitalizing the starting lineup, but will he be able to help his team once again?