Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays), who returned after a year and two months after successfully completing elbow surgery and rehabilitation, suffered a dizzying injury crisis in the second game of his return to the Major League (MLB).
Ryu Hyun-jin started in an away game against the Cleveland Guardians held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on the 8th (Korean time) and pitched well without a hit until the 4th inning, walking 1, striking out 2 and allowing no runs. He cooked Cleveland’s batting line with his unique awl-like control. His MLB career record of 900 strikeouts also broke.
However, the first victory after his return was postponed to the next opportunity. This is because he was hit by an opposing hitter, Oscar Gonzalez, with second out and first base at the end of the 4th inning, which continued his no-hit streak, and withdrew from the mound after the 4th inning ended. Gonzalez’s ball hit the inside of Ryu Hyun-jin’s right knee after kicking off a changeup outside the first pitch.
Ryu Hyun-jin threw a ball that fell after hitting his knee to first base, putting Gonzalez out and ending the inning. He then fell to the ground and complained of pain for a while. Eventually, with the support of Toronto coach John Schneider, he returned to the dugout. Toronto replaced the pitcher with bullpen Jay Jackson from the bottom of the 5th inning. Ryu Hyun-jin had a total of 52 pitches.
The local media expressed their disappointment at once. The Toronto Sun, a Canadian newspaper, reported that “Ryu Hyun-jin was drawing a blue future for Toronto with perfect performance until he had to go down early due to severe pain.” Yahoo Sports Canada said, “Ryu Hyun-jin is probably the most unlucky baseball player at the moment.” MLB.com also said, “It was too cruel timing for Ryu Hyun-jin. The Toronto club watched with bated breath the extent of Ryu Hyun-jin’s injury,” he wrote.
Fortunately, it turned out to be no serious injury. The Toronto club announced that Ryu Hyun-jin “had a bruise on his right knee,” adding, “We plan to undergo additional examinations such as X-rays, but there are no plans for detailed examinations including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).” This means that there are no signs of bone or ligament damage. Ryu Hyun-jin also met with local reporters after the game and said, “My knee was hit by a ball and swollen. However, it is not at a level that interferes with running or playing,” he reassured the fans.
Coach Schneider, who rushed to the mound immediately after Ryu Hyun-jin’s injury, raised his thumb, saying, “Ryu Hyun-jin’s fighting spirit was amazing, as he finished the defensive play even after being hit by a batted ball.” “We often joke about the thickness of Ryu Hyun-jin’s calves, but when I saw that his legs were more swollen (due to injury), he teased me saying, ‘Now they are twice as thick,’” he said with a broad smile. It is a scene that informs that the situation is enough to exchange jokes about the injured part.스포츠토토
It is unclear whether Ryu Hyun-jin will be able to digest the next starting rotation as scheduled. However, the hiatus is not expected to be prolonged. It is also hopeful that he showed ‘Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance’ right before the steel plate. Fastball restraint was also measured at a maximum speed of 146 km/h and an average speed of 143 km/h, close to last season. Ryu Hyun-jin said, “My pitching was much better than before my comeback on the 2nd (against the Baltimore Orioles). I especially liked the changeup.”