Return of the Ryu

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin watches the action against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 26. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

Ryu Hyun-jin is set to make his first major league appearance of the season this week, ending 14-months on the sidelines after he underwent Tommy John Surgery last year.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced last week that Ryu would start against the Baltimore Orioles at home in Toronto on Tuesday local time, or just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning in Korea.

"He's ready to roll," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said at the time. "Push the 'Go' button and don't look back."

Ryu, the most experienced Korean current playing in the big leagues and the only pitcher, has been out since the start of June 2022 when he landed on the injured list discomfort in his pitching arm.

After tests, it was decided that Ryu needed to undergo "revision ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with a flexor tendon repair," more commonly known as Tommy John Surgery, a potentially career-ending procedure that generally requires 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation.

For Ryu, now in the later years of his career, it was unclear just how devastating that much time away from the mound would be. But the 36-year-old worked hard to ensure he could make it back to the majors, flying from Korea to the United States in December last year to begin rehabilitation as early as possible.

Ryu made four minor league starts in July, recording a 2.00 ERA over 18 innings pitched with one walk and 16 strikeouts for two wins and no losses. His fastball is sitting just under 90 miles per hour, according to reports, with Ryu said to be happy with how he’s throwing.

Ryu returns just in time to play the second half of the final year of his $80-million contract with the Blue Jays.

The Korean ace got off to a fast start in his first year in Canada, picking up five wins and two losses with a 2.69 ERA in the Covid-19-shortened 2020 season. In 2021 he struggled more, picking up 14 wins and 10 losses and a 4.37 ERA, before recording a 5.67 ERA with two wins in his six starts last season.

The Blue Jays currently sit in third place in the AL East as of press time Tuesday, 4 games behind the second-place Tampa Bay Rays and 5.5 games behind the leading Orioles.

Ryu’s return game will begin at 8:07 a.m. on Wednesday morning in Korea.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]