Toronto left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu will make his first major league start in exactly 14 months when the Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Ryu, 36, underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2022 and has made a swift recovery, especially for someone who is 36 years old.
“He attacked it from Day One when he was up here last year,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. “Given his age and that it’s his second (major arm surgery), it’s pretty remarkable what he’s done.
“He’s got a great feel for pitching and total professional in the way he went about his rehab. Not that he’s ahead of schedule, but we were pleasantly surprised with everything that he did.”
Ryu had a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings over four rehab starts at three different levels.
“He’s ready to roll,” Schneider said. “Push the ‘Go’ button and don’t look back.”
Ryu also had major surgery as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting a torn labrum repaired and missing the entire 2015 season and pitching just once in 2016.
Ryu departed the Dodgers following a strong 2019 season, when he went 14-5 with a major league-best 2.32 ERA and finished second in the National League Cy Young Award balloting.
The South Korea native signed with the Blue Jays and placed third in American League Cy Young balloting in the shortened 60-game season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
His lone full season with Toronto was in 2021, when he went 14-10 with a 4.37 ERA in 31 starts. He was 2-0 with a 5.67 ERA in six starts last season before undergoing the Tommy John procedure.
Overall, Ryu is 75-45 with a 3.27 ERA in 175 career appearances (174 starts) since reaching the majors with Los Angeles in 2013.
–Field Level Media
