While ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays) started to return, the United States is also very interested in Ryu Hyun-jin’s return.
On the 26th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League, focused on the recent situation of Ryu Hyun-jin, who is likely to play a comeback game after the All-Star break.
Ryu Hyun-jin joined the team on the schedule of the Toronto Tampa Bay Rays away game, and on the 23rd, he pitched in the bullpen while his teammates and coaching staff watched.
Ryu Hyun-jin is in the process of returning in mid-July as originally planned. “From the beginning, I thought it would be ideal to join the team in the second half after the All-Star break, and that’s my goal now. I plan to schedule accordingly,” he explained. The Major League All-Star break this season is July 11-14, and if there are no major problems, Ryu Hyun-jin can join the starting rotation with the start of the second half.
Then, what was the driving force behind Ryu Hyun-jin’s smooth rehabilitation process? It was ‘weight loss’.
MLB.com said, “Ryu Hyun-jin lost a significant amount of weight during the recovery period after elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery), and he has never been physically better than this.” I don’t want to do it, I check the next step or follow the team’s plan,” he noted Ryu Hyun-jin’s will to return.
MLB.com Toronto reporter Keegan Matheson also said through his SNS, “Ryu Hyun-jin usually combined aerobic exercise and weight training, and he was able to lose weight while reducing his late-night snacking.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who recently started checking his curveball and changeup, emphasized the importance of body care, saying, “You need to be able to throw cut fastballs while increasing the number of pitches.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who signed a contract with Toronto for a total of 80 million dollars (about 106.6 billion won) over 4 years after the 2019 season, recorded an average ERA of 2.69 with 5 wins and 2 losses in 67 innings in 12 games in 2020, which was played in a shortened season in the aftermath of Corona 19. The following year, he went 14-10 with a 4.37 earned run average in 31 games and 169 innings, tying for the team’s most wins.안전놀이터
However, Ryu Hyun-jin had to go on the operating table after suffering an elbow injury during last season, and had to end the season early. Last year, his performance was 6 games, 27 innings, 2 wins, and an earned run average of 5.67.
Currently, Toronto maintains a win rate of more than 50%, but remains at the bottom of the American League East (before the game on the 27th), pushed by Tampa Bay, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. Toronto, which is dreaming of a rebound, hopes that the return of ‘Ace’ Ryu Hyun-jin will inject great vitality into the team.