Blue Jays: Hyun Jin Ryu placed on IL as season goes from bad to worse
By Paul Taylor
Hyun Jin Ryu’s nightmare season continues, as the Toronto Blue Jays place the 2019 All-Star on the 15-day injured list with left forearm inflammation.
Hyun Jin Ryu was forced to leave Wednesday’s start versus the Chicago White Sox due to left forearm tightness. Now he’s headed to the injured list for the Blue Jays.
As reported by Sportsnet, Ryu has been placed on the 15-day IL with left forearm inflammation. This is the second time this season he has been put on the IL due to this injury.
Last time, the 2019 All-Star missed three weeks of action. This time around it’s entirely possible his absence could be longer, especially if the Blue Jays want to avoid a similar scenario later on this season.
Certainly, Ryu’s form has been impacted by the ongoing left forearm issues. Manager Charlie Montoyo previously expressed his concern about the pitcher’s declining velocity and overall struggles.
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From a statistical perspective, the 35-year-old has the second-worst ERA and WAR among the six pitchers who have started games for the Blue Jays in 2022. Further, he is currently on course for the worst season of his professional career as a regular starter.
While Ryu is 2-0 in his six starts, he has a poor stat line which includes a 5.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and -0.3 WAR. The only year he had worse stats was in 2016, when he appeared in just one game.
It would make sense for the Blue Jays to take a cautious approach with rehabbing the Incheon, South Korea native. If fully healthy, it improves his chances of regaining the form which saw him finish third in voting for the American League Cy Young award during his first season in Toronto
Ryu is in the third season of a four-year, $80 million contract with the Blue Jays. Prior to this, he enjoyed an extremely impressive tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which included becoming the first Korean pitcher to start in a World Series game.
The 2019 MLB ERA leader’s place on the active roster will be taken by pitcher Jeremy Beasley. However, Ross Stripling is expected to be moved back into the starting rotation.
Stripling was serviceable enough during his previous spell replacing Ryu, starting five games and going 0-1, with a 4.29 ERA and 18/2 strikeouts/walks ratio. For the season as a whole, he has appeared in 13 games and gone 1-1, while recording a 4.22 ERA along with 29 strikes and eight walks.
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Are you concerned about Ryu’s ongoing forearm issues, or do you expect him to eventually get healthy and return to his previous form? Pending the length of his absence, are you comfortable with Stripling getting an extended run as a starter? Let us know in the comments section below.