Can Hyun-jin Ryu, 36, be the savior of the Toronto Blue Jays?
Toronto’s record this season hasn’t been good. As of Sept. 24, they were 26-23 with a .531 winning percentage and are in last place in the American League East. There are 8.5 games between them and the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. Not only that, but Toronto is out of the top five in the wild card standings.
In the meantime, their ace, Hyun-jin Ryu, is on the verge of a comeback. On Thursday, he threw a bullpen session in front of the coaching staff at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and finished the practice without any pain.
Ryu, who underwent elbow surgery last June, is making good progress in his rehabilitation. He is expected to return in mid-July, around the All-Star break. The plan is for Ryu to join Toronto’s starting lineup in the second half of the season, and he has been practicing pitching while closely monitoring his physical condition.토토사이트
The Toronto Star, a local Toronto media outlet, reported, “Ryu’s curveball and changeup are coming out well. There was no pain,” and reported that Ryu was pitching out of the bullpen. Ryu also said, “It was fun to pitch in front of my teammates and the crowd. I missed throwing the ball on the mound,” he said.
If Ryu returns healthy, it will be a big boost to the Toronto mound. In the past, Ryu has expressed his desire to play until October with the team, saying in an interview with local media, “If Toronto makes the postseason, I want to play until October.” At this point, Toronto is out of the running for the postseason, but there’s still plenty of time left in the season to turn things around with Ryu.
For Ryu, the rest of the season is important. After this year, his four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto will be finalized. It will be interesting to see if both Ryu and Toronto can smile.