The Toronto Blue Jays’ Hyun-jin Ryu has pitched well since returning from elbow surgery.
The Toronto organization that was skeptical of his comeback is now full of confidence. Hyun-jin Ryu pitched five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits to lead the Blue Jays to an 8-3 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rogers Centre on April 27 (ET).
메이저놀이터After giving up a solo homer to Jose Ramirez in the first inning and a solo shot to Tyler Freeman in the fifth, Hyun-jin Ryu gave up a leadoff single to Cole Calhoun in the sixth and then induced back-to-back grounders to Ramirez and Oscar Gonzalez, but back-to-back fielding errors left the bases loaded and he had already been replaced by Garcia.
With the bases loaded, Garcia allowed a pushing single to Ramon Lorino, but retired the next three batters to prevent further damage. After the game, Toronto manager John Schneider said, “Ryu pitched awesome. All I can say is he was efficient and his stuff was outstanding.” Ryu could have gotten his first quality start of the season if not for two errors in the sixth inning.
Ryu Hyun-jin is comforted by third baseman Matt Chapman, who made an apologetic gesture after being removed with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. USATODAYYonline
With the win, Ryu improved to 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA, five walks and 20 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched in five games. His ERA and WHIP (1.000) lead the AL, and his batting average (0.211) is second. In other words, he’s been pitching better than expected.
This is only the second time in his career that Ryu has pitched this well coming off an injury. His 2018 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers ended a month into the season with a groin injury, but he returned in mid-August and went 4-3 with a 1.88 ERA in the remaining nine games of the season. Ryu rode his momentum to a Cy Young Award-winning 2019 before hitting the free agent jackpot later that year.
There’s a similar vibe this time around. “Vintage Ryu” is back in full force. He’s got the corner stuff, the colorful mix of pitches, and the brilliant delivery. His four-seam fastball, which he threw 29 times on the day, topped out at 90.8 mph and averaged 88.2 mph. His lowest velocity on his 13 curveballs was 64.6 mph. That’s a whopping 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) between his highest and lowest velocity. The fastball itself isn’t the most important part of the “Ryu game.
DeGrom was released by the Mets after the season and hit free agency after posting a 3.08 ERA in 11 games in his return from a late-season injury last year. AP
Jacob deGrom is a prime example of a pitcher who has made a late-season comeback after more than a year of rehabilitation and pitched explosively.
After returning from a year-long rehabilitation late last year with the New York Mets to go 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 11 starts, DeGrom signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers in free agency after the season.
DeGrom, who previously suffered a right arm injury in July 2021 that ended his season, pitched two games in spring training last year before being suddenly diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right scapula and placed back on the DL in late March.
After three months of treatment and rehabilitation, he made four minor league appearances in the month of July before returning to action on Aug. 3 against the Washington Nationals. After pitching five innings of three-hit ball, DeGrom settled in nicely, going 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA, two walks, and 46 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings over five games until an August 26 start against the Colorado Rockies.
His five-game performance is very similar to what we saw from Ryu later in the year. If he stays in the rotation for the rest of the season, he could make six more starts. Like DeGrom last year, he would pitch 11 games after returning. Ryu is also a free agent after this season.
DeGrom’s season ended prematurely this year with an elbow injury after pitching through the month of April. He received his Tommy John surgery on June 13. He hopes to return next August. He’s just beginning the rehabilitation that Hyun-jin Ryu has been through for the past year.