It was four years ago. The two stars of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ batting lineup could meet in a fateful matchup when they switch uniforms.
Ryu Hyun-jin pitched four innings of two-hit ball, striking out one and walking none against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Aug. 8 (ET). He didn’t even need a no-hitter to win.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the fourth inning, Ryu threw a changeup to Oscar Gonzalez. Gonzalez hit the pitch hard to Ryu’s left knee. Ryu quickly recovered and threw to first base to end the inning himself. However, he was unable to take the mound in the fifth inning.
According to MLB.com and other outlets, Ryu’s injury is a simple bruise. Toronto hasn’t released a timetable for Ryu’s next start, but assuming he’s healthy, the next game is an interesting matchup. Toronto is currently using a six-man rotation. If so, his next start will be the final game of a four-game homestand against the Chicago Cubs on April 14 at 2:37 PM. It’s also the last game of a 17-game road trip.
There are a lot of variables. There’s a chance that Ryu could skip his start against the Cubs on Thursday and start Game 1 of a two-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 16-17. However, if Ryu’s knee is in relatively good shape, and Toronto needs to defend the third spot in the American League wild-card race, there’s a good chance he’ll start against the Cubs on Thursday. It’s not an unreasonable schedule with five days off.
When Hyun-jin Ryu takes the mound against the Cubs, he’ll be facing his former teammate from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cody Bellinger. The two have been great side-by-side in 2019, leading the Dodgers in batting average. Hyun-jin Ryu led the majors in ERA with a 2.32 ERA in 2019. Bellinger was named National League MVP after hitting .305 with 47 home runs, 115 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS in 156 games in 2019.
After finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award voting, Hyun-Jin Ryu ended his association with the Dodgers and signed with Toronto in free agency for four years and $80 million. Bellinger, on the other hand, fell like a rock over the next three years. He hit just .239 with 12 homers, .165 with 10 homers, and .210 with 19 homers over three years. The Dodgers then released Bellinger as a non-tender after the 2022 season.
Bellinger signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Cubs this year to start over, and he has bounced back from his family’s abandonment. In 82 games this year, he’s batting .332 with 16 home runs, 55 RBI, 64 runs scored, and a .935 OPS. Ryu Hyun-jin, with whom we shared fond memories four years ago, also returned after a year and two months of Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation.안전놀이터
Ryu failed to pick up a win in his first two games back. He will try to win his comeback game against his old teammate. As a free agent in 2023-2024, it’s time for him to get his first win and increase his value. The overall pitching performance against Cleveland is promising. Of course, he’ll have to get past the Cubs’ key hitter, Bellinger, to get his first win.