adminThe “Korean Monster,” Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays), is finally back. After a long injury tunnel, he’s just over a year and two months away from making his big league debut.
Ryu will start the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season against the Baltimore Orioles at 8:07 a.m. ET today at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ryu has been preparing for his return in the minor leagues step by step, but the big leagues are a different story. The biggest thing he’ll have to watch out for is a cannonball.
Restraint, Balls, and Stamina, the unsuspecting Korean Monster… Just like before the injury!
After making his first bullpen appearance in late May, Ryu made four minor league rehab appearances to get his feel for the game. In those four games, he went 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA.
In his minor league rehabilitation games, he progressively increased his pitch count from 42 pitches to 37 pitches to 66 pitches to 85 pitches. He found that he was able to throw a lot of pitches.
His velocity is back to where it was before his injury. His fastball velocity increased from 141.6 kilometers to 142.3 kilometers to 144.5 kilometers to 146.1 kilometers. He even pitched out of the bullpen on two occasions, showing that he is now fully ready.
According to Canadian outlet TSN, Ryu said, “The most important thing for me in the rehabilitation process was to stay away from any frustrations or things that would stop me. I think I did a pretty good job of that,” he said, adding, “As a starter, I want to set the stage for the team to win, and if I can do what a starter is supposed to do, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”
Toronto manager John Schneider, who watched the final inspection, said that “Ryu’s feel and command of his pitches are unparalleled.” “His recovery is very impressive, but it’s not surprising because he’s always been good,” he said.
Ryu, who has lost 13 kilograms of body weight and appeared to have gained a lot of weight, is preparing to make a perfect comeback in optimal shape.
Baltimore offense still strong at 5-1, but… Watch out for home runs
“There’s no pitch count limit,” Schneider said of Ryu. But right now, it’s not about pitching long innings, it’s about pitching as few runs as possible and getting the team the win.
The opposition is no slouch. Baltimore is tied with Toronto for first place in the American League (AL) East with a 65-41 record and a .613 winning percentage.
Ryu is 5-1 with a 4.35 ERA in nine career starts against the Orioles. He’s been well-supported by his team’s offense and has been a force to be reckoned with.
Home runs are the difference. In 49⅔ innings pitched against the Orioles, he allowed 51 hits, six of which were home runs. Even in his recent minor league outings, where he struck out 16 and walked just one, he’s been hit hard by home runs. In 18 innings, he allowed just four earned runs on 13 hits, three of which were home runs.바카라사이트
Baltimore has five players with double-digit home runs, including Anthony Santander, who has 18 homers and 58 RBIs. The Orioles also have three nine-homer hitters, meaning that virtually the entire lineup has the ability to hit one.
With such a sophisticated arsenal of pitches, it’s important to be careful of mistakes. Even if he only pitches five innings, he’ll need to minimize his runs to stay in contention for the sixth spot.
Ryu’s opponent will be Kyle Brady, who is in his second year in the big leagues. He is having a career-high season with a 6-6 record and 3.29 ERA, so Ryu will need to minimize his runs even more.
You can watch Ryu’s comeback game on pay-per-view platform SPOTV ON and sports OTT service SPOTV NOW.