adminThe Toronto Blue Jays posted a series of interesting photos on their social media accounts on Monday (June 26).
The photos were taken before Hyun-jin Ryu’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 25. Ryu has rejoined the big league roster after completing a minor league rehab assignment. Toronto will play a three-game series against the Dodgers until July 27.
Most notably, he posed with Clayton Kershaw. They patted each other on the back and posed affectionately.
This is likely the first time Ryu and Kershaw have met on a baseball field since Ryu was traded to Toronto in 2020. It will be four years since Toronto and the Dodgers faced off in 2019, and the two teams have different spring training camps in Florida and Arizona, respectively.
When Ryu arrived at Dodger Stadium, he was greeted by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Kershaw, Max Muncy, and other former teammates, who gave him a hug.
The photo of him posing with Kershaw is particularly noteworthy because they are both in the midst of rehabilitation. Both are expected to return around the same time in early August.
First, Ryu will throw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Sunday and then throw a simulated game against fellow hitters before returning. While he’s already received a clean bill of health in the minors, Toronto wants to see his actual delivery and velocity in person. Add to that the need to determine the right time for Ryu to join the Toronto rotation, and it looks like August is the time.
Toronto manager John Schneider told MLB.com on June 26, “Ryu is pretty close to coming back. He’s feeling good. We’ll have a better idea after he throws a bullpen tomorrow.”
Toronto is set to go with a six-man rotation for a 17-game homestand starting Aug. 29, with Kevin Gausman next in line to make a start against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 3.
Ryu threw 85 pitches in his Triple-A start on April 22, raising his fastball velocity to a high of 90.8 mph and an average of 88.4 mph. He’s not far off his pre-Tommy John surgery average of 89.3 mph.
Kershaw has also been on the disabled list this season. He was placed on the disabled list on June 28 after pitching six innings against the Colorado Rockies with left shoulder soreness. He has since been treated, rested, and rehabbed, and recently threw a bullpen session.
Kershaw was originally scheduled to face hitters in a simulated game on the 25th, but the plan changed after his second bullpen session last week. The simulated pitching is expected this weekend. Kershaw’s expected return is the first week of August. That would put him on the big league mound around the same time as Ryu.
Since his major league debut, Ryu has been on the disabled list 13 times, including two surgeries, and Kershaw 12 times. When it comes to injuries, they go hand in hand.온라인카지노
In 2013, when Ryu joined the Dodgers, Kershaw was the ace and Ryu was the third starter behind Zack Greinke. He went 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA that year and quickly became an ace. He continued his momentum in 2014 with another 14 wins and a 3.38 ERA, but after nearly two years off due to shoulder surgery in 2015, Ryu rebounded in the second half of 2018, finishing second in the 2019 Cy Young Award voting.
After moving to Toronto for four years and $80 million, he was the ace for much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, but then things went downhill. In June of last year, he underwent left elbow surgery and spent more than a year rehabbing.