Atkins: Ryu, Green on track in Tommy John recovery
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Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters Wednesday that both Hyun Jin Ryu and Chad Green are progressing well and are on track to return in a typical Tommy John surgery window.
Atkins did not put an official return target date on either pitcher, tweets TSN Blue Jays Reporter Scott Mitchell.
Ryu has previously said he plans to return sometime after the All-Star Break (July 10-13) which would be a little over a year from when he had the procedure last June.
“So that I can be part of the team through the second half of the season. That’s my goal right now,” Ryu told reporters in May through a translator.
Atkins also said he views starting pitching as a priority at the trade deadline but the team has to balance it with what they have in-house that could help in the second half, including Ryu and right-hander Alek Manoah, who was roughed up in his first minor league appearance since being sent down last month.
On the other hand, Atkins mentioned that staying in a four-man rotation with a bullpen day is "not the goal." He hinted that a move may be coming in the near future, saying "I think we can get through another turn or two [through the rotation] feeling OK..."
Ryu is in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract he signed with Toronto in December of 2019. His most recent big league start came on June 1 of last year against the Chicago White Sox.
A native of Incheon, South Korea, Ryu has a 4.07 ERA in 49 starts with the Jays over parts of three seasons.
Meanwhile, Green's last MLB game action came on May 19 of last year. He too is a candidate to return later this season.
The Blue Jays signed the 32-year-old reliever to a two-year, $8.5 million deal this past off-season. He has a 3.17 career ERA in seven big league seasons, all spent with the New York Yankees.