Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu cruised through his third rehab start, moving closer to a big league return. He is pitching well and without pain.
After undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery last June and being declared out for the season, Hyun-jin Ryu is preparing to return to the big leagues with his latest rehab appearance.
On May 5, Ryu made his first appearance in the minor leagues, pitching three innings of four-hit ball with five strikeouts and one earned run. Three days later, Ryu tossed four innings in Single-A, striking out three and walking none.
On the 15th, Ryu moved to Triple-A, the highest level of the minor leagues, to check his pitching. He started a game against the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A Toledo Birdhens, allowing one run on three hits (one home run) in five innings with five strikeouts.메이저놀이터
After the game, Ryu told Canadian outlet Toronto Star, “I’m very happy. I played at a higher level. I focused on a lot of things and it feels good to be able to do what I need to do.”
On the day, Ryu threw 66 pitches (46 strikes) to improve his pitch count. “I should have thrown at least 65,” he said. I wanted to face the hitters as quickly as possible, so I’m very satisfied,” he said.
Ryu worked hard to rejoin the team as soon as possible after his surgery. According to the Toronto Star, he managed to lose 30 pounds (about 13.6 kilograms).
“I paid attention to my diet, but the weight came off naturally,” Ryu said, adding that being lighter can help with pitching.
Ryu is expected to make one more rehab start at Triple-A before being called up to the big leagues. “I’m going to come back here to pitch,” he said. “I’m going to talk to the team and see what the future plans are. I’m not worried about my arm at all.”