Leading up to Wednesday the Los Angeles Dodgers were down to deciding between handing the ball to Scott Kazmir or Hyun-Jin Ryu for a start against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. For either, it would mean the first start of 2017 Spring Training.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave the nod to Kazmir, who fared well in the first inning but struggled in the second. On Tuesday, Roberts said the decision wasn’t health-related, and explained the club preferred to get another look at Ryu in a “controlled setting.”
However, Ryu was said to be suffering from discomfort in his adductor muscle. The 29-year-old nonetheless carried forward with his bullpen, and did so without any setback, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“It went well; I feel better,” said Ryu. “I didn’t feel anything in the adductor or any of the previous injuries. As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready to move on.”
Ryu said he didn’t have pain, “just felt a little uncomfortable” in the wake of a Monday bullpen session.
Assuming Ryu doesn’t report any issues on Thursday, he will next advance to facing hitters a second time. If that hurdle is cleared, the left-hander would then take the mound in a Cactus League game.
After a strong first two seasons with the Dodgers, multiple injuries and surgeries have limited Ryu to just one start over the past two seasons. He’s competing alongside Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Brock Stewart, Ross Stripling and Alex Wood for the two remaining spots in the Dodgers rotation.
