Blue Jays' Ryu working on late 2023 return for playoff run
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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is working on a return to the diamond during the 2023 MLB season after having Tommy John surgery last year.
The 35-year-old lefty appeared in six games last season, recording a 2-0 record with a 5.67 earned-run average before being sidelined in June.
"He looks great," Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker told Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. "Physically, he's in really good shape and he's doing a great job of taking care of his body during his time rehabbing. Watching him play catch, watching him stretch it out a little bit... he looks like his normal self."
Ryu is in the last year of a four-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Blue Jays in December of 2019. In his first season with the team, he had a 5-2 record with a 2.69 ERA, which helped him finish third in American League Cy Young award voting and 13th in AL MVP voting during the 2020 COVID-shortened season.
However, his play regressed the following season where he had a 14-10 record with a 4.37 ERA as the Blue Jays missed the postseason by one game behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
With the Blue Jays hoping to make another run to the postseason in 2023, having a fresh arm late in the season could prove valuable.
"The main thing is for him to get healthy, to feel great, and to put himself in a position to help us out," said Walker. "To become another option, a good option, to have late in the season. I think he's dedicated, and he's driven to help this team out at some point his year. I certainly wouldn't put it past him to make a successful comeback.
"It's tough to keep everybody healthy all year and there's a need for a lot of pitchers to help out at different times. So, to have guys like that potentially available late in the season, it's nice to think about."