The content of the game was disappointing, but I saw hope.
Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) started the home game against the Baltimore Orioles held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 2nd (Korean time). 5 innings, 9 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 4 runs lost.
Ryu Hyun-jin underwent left elbow ligament surgery after the Chicago White Sox match on June 2 last year. He returned to the mound after 14 months of rehabilitation.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who threw a maximum speed of 90.8 miles per hour (about 146 km) and an average speed of 142.2 km in the last rehabilitation appearance, proved his improved physical condition with a maximum speed of 91 miles (146.5 km) and an average of 143.2 km that day. Still not 100%. There were more changeovers. He had a changeup (22), curveball (20) and cutter (5). The curve angle was great. American pitching expert Rob Friedman called this a “dirty curveball.”
His return itself was news. There was a lot of content in the game that day. He allowed too many runs. struggled from the beginning. In the first inning, both the fastball and the cutter were attacked, allowing two runs 먹튀검증 in a row. Even the changeup thrown to Anthony Santander became a hit, and after allowing one run, the 1st and 3rd bases were in danger. After two runs, he struck out Jordan Westberg on a swing, ending his long first inning.
Mistakes continued in the second inning. The lead hitter, Ramon Urias, faced a crisis when he was hit by a double that hit the left fence. With a sacrifice bunt and an infield ground ball, he became 2nd and 3rd base, and a curveball thrown at Luchman became a heavy hit, resulting in the third run.
The top of the 3rd and 4th innings also didn’t lead to a run, but they allowed the lead batter to get on base and looked uneasy.
In the top of the 5th inning, he was driven to 1st and 2nd base with a heavy hit and walk, and Trevor Richards began to warm up in the Toronto bullpen. Although he was on the verge of a steel plate, he passed the 5th inning safely thanks to Hayes’ double stroke. Ryu Hyun-jin, who recorded 75 pitches until the 5th inning, was given a chance in the 6th inning as well. However, the changeup thrown from the ball count 2B-2S to lead hitter Henderson went straight to the middle and went over the fence. In the 3-3 balance, the lead was 3-4, and eventually Ryu Hyun-jin came down from the mound. It was a home run that went slightly over the fence with a distance of 107m, but it was difficult for the Toronto bench to postpone the decision any longer.
After Hyun-Jin Ryu went down, the Toronto bullpen couldn’t hold on. They were defeated 3-13, and Ryu Hyun-jin became the losing pitcher.
On this day, Ryu Hyun-jin’s various pitches and fastballs formed in the mid-140 km range were scattered. It was enough for everyone to confirm that his surgery went well. His redemption has more room to come up. There have been quite a few cases of increased velocity during the season after Tommy John surgery. The problem is that Ryu Hyun-jin’s ball contact rate is too high compared to when he was good. He allowed too many regular hits, and the opposing batters’ bat heads followed all the way to the falling breaking ball. However, with aggressive pitching, the number of pitches was controlled well compared to hits.
The coexistence of anxiety and hope. The local media looked at Ryu Hyun-jin’s return positively. The US ‘Sports Illustrated’ said, ‘It was unrealistic for Ryu Hyun-jin to come back wearing a Blue Jays uniform. I could still see hope. He commented, “It wasn’t a particularly good performance, but it wasn’t a very bad pitch either.” Toronto’s local newspaper ‘Toronto Sun’ said, ‘It’s a long-awaited comeback. At the Rogers Center, the audience sent a warm welcome, and Ryu Hyun-jin must have been happy. The content of the game was still cold, but the fact that Ryu Hyun-jin’s speed increased as he pitched is a hopeful matter to be seen in the future.’
Ryu Hyun-jin said in a local interview, “I’m very satisfied with my return, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t do everything a starting pitcher should do.”