Ryu Hyun-jin (36) of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) is preparing to return to the mound smoothly. He is cruising toward the goal of ‘returning in the second half’.
Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said in an interview with local media including Sportsnet on the 16th (Korean time), “Ryu Hyun-jin is currently pitching in the bullpen. He said next month he’s going to throw the ball against the hitter, and he can put it into play.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent left elbow ligament surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June of last year, is undergoing rehabilitation training in Dunedin, Florida, USA where the Toronto team’s spring camp facility is located. Pitcher Chad Green, who was on the operating table a month earlier, is Ryu’s rehabilitation partner. General manager Atkins personally visited Dunedin last week to check the bullpen pitching and physical condition of the two main pitchers.
Ryu Hyun-jin aims to return in July, right after the All-Star break. In an interview with MLB.com in March, he said, “I think the ideal time to come back is mid-July. I want to complete all rehabilitation so that I can compete at the MLB level by then.”
Preparations for the comeback are proceeding well as planned by Ryu Hyun-jin. He volunteered to train 6 days a week last winter and clung to rehabilitation, and for the first time since entering the MLB, he boarded a plane to the United States before the New Year. After arriving in warm Florida, he completed a step-by-step pitching program by increasing the distance of his catch. Ryu Hyun-jin has now completed the strengthening exercises for ligament regeneration, rehabilitation training, and muscle strengthening training required for pitching.먹튀검증
Ryu Hyun-jin signed a large contract with Toronto in December 2019 for 4 years and 80 million dollars (approximately 106.7 billion won). After serving as an ace with 5 wins and 2 losses in 2020 with an ERA of 2.69 (shortened 60 games in the regular season in the aftermath of Corona 19), he posted a double-digit victory with 14 wins and 10 losses (4.37 ERA) in 2021. However, after winning two wins (5.67 ERA) in six games last year, he underwent elbow surgery.
As of the 16th, Toronto is 24-17, third in the Eastern Division of the American League. One-two punchers Chris Bassett and Yusei Kikuchi each have 5 wins, followed by Jose Berrios (3 wins), Kevin Gaussman (2 wins) and Alec Manoa (1 win). If Ryu Hyun-jin joins the starting lineup in the second half, Toronto can expect better results.