The “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) faces a tough opponent in his return from injury.
Hyun-jin Ryu is set to start the Blue Jays’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre in Toronto on April 2. Ryu, who has been rehabbing since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow last June, has made four minor league appearances to check his conditioning. He totaled 18 innings and four runs. On the 30th, he completed his final rehearsal with bullpen throws 토스카지노 (29 pitches) at home in front of Toronto manager John Schneider, working with catcher Danny Jansen.
It’s interesting to note that the opponent for his return is Baltimore. The Orioles have been one of the most dominant teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) this season. Through 30 days, the Orioles are 63-41 (.606 winning percentage), one of only 15 teams in the American League (AL) with a winning percentage in the six figures. Their winning percentage is also second in all of baseball behind the Atlanta Braves (66-36, .647). The Orioles are looking to reach the postseason for the first time in seven years with a generational lineup. Ryu’s career record against Baltimore is 5-1 with a 4.35 ERA in nine games (24 earned runs in 49 and two-thirds innings). In six appearances in 2021, he went 4-1 with a 5.12 ERA. Facing Baltimore for the first time in more than two years, Ryu will have plenty of hitters to watch out for.
Henderson, one of the Baltimore Orioles’ key hitters. Getty Images
MLB expert Song Jae-woo, a commentator for MBC SportsPlus, said, “Baltimore, which hasn’t had a good team performance in the past, has consistently had the top pick in the rookie draft. “The team has a good mix of players (prospects) who were expected to make it to the big leagues and players who have endured the dark ages.” “You have to be especially careful of the top three hitters in the order of Adley Rushman, Gunnar Henderson, and Anthony Santander. We’re going to have to face those three in the first inning, and if we get off to a bad start, it could be tough.” Considering he’s returning from injury, Ryu’s pitch count could be limited. “I don’t think he’ll throw more than 70 to 80 pitches, and when you do the math, it’s more about how you handle the top of the order, the one-three hitters,” Song said.
Baltimore has five players with double-digit home runs. Santander (18 homers), Henderson (16), and Lurchman (14) are the core of the offense. Santander and Lurchman are switch hitters, which makes it even trickier. Santander and Austin Hays both homered off of Ryu in their September 2021 matchup. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Lurchman, the first overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft. “Rogers Centre is a hitter-friendly ballpark that pulled the fence forward ahead of the season,” said Song. “Ryu’s velocity wasn’t perfect in his minor league outing, but his control was still good. I think he’ll be fine as long as he gets the 1-3 hitters out.”
After completing his 30-day bullpen stint, Ryu told local media, “As a starting pitcher, I want to lay the groundwork for the team to win.” “As long as I can do what a starting pitcher is supposed to do, it doesn’t matter what team I’m facing,” he said. Toronto is 59-46 (.562 winning percentage) and in third place in the AL East, 4.5 games behind first-place Baltimore. The Jays need a win against Baltimore to keep their fall baseball hopes alive.