Blue Jays' Ryu exits after being hit by comebacker
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Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu left Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians after he was hit with a line drive.
Guardians' outfielder Oscar Gonzalez lined one back up the middle that caught Ryu flush in the side of his right knee. The Jays later officially said he left with a right knee contusion.
The veteran left-hander was able to retire Gonzalez at first to end the inning, but collapsed right after in obvious pain. Manager John Schneider and the training staff came out to check on him as he remained down on the field and eventually helped him exit the diamond and get down the dugout steps.
MLB.com's Keegan Matheson reported that Schneider said after the game Ryu will have precautionary x-rays.
Right-hander Jay Jackson came in to relieve Ryu for the bottom half of the fifth inning with the game tied 0-0. Toronto went on to win 3-1 after Cavan Biggio hit an eventual game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning.
Ryu was solid over four innings before taking the liner, turning in four scoreless frames with no hits allowed and just one walk. Ryu was hit with a line drive earlier in Monday's game, but appeared to deflect the majority of the impact with his glove and also recorded the out at first base.
Monday's outing was Ryu's second start since he had Tommy John surgery last June. He made his 2023 season debut last week at Rogers Centre against the Baltimore Orioles, taking the loss after allowing four earned runs in five-plus innings pitched.
The 36-year-old southpaw had a career ERA of 3.28 in 10 big league seasons split between the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers entering play Monday.