Hyun-Jin Ryu’s multiyear path to full health led to him surprisingly earning a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation for Opening Day of the 2017 season. To that point, Ryu had made just one Major League start over the past two years.
His strong showing in spring didn’t fully carry into the regular season, as the left-hander only managed to turn in 4.2 innings in each of his first two starts. Ryu wasn’t lone in that sense, as the Dodgers haven’t received much length out of starters not named Clayton Kershaw or Brandon McCarthy.
Ryu completed six innings on April 18, though allowed three home runs to the Colorado Rockies and suffered his third loss of the year. Although Ryu remained winless, he put together his best start of the season against the San Francisco Giants.
The 30-year-old again went six innings, though only allowed one run and worked out of multiple jams. According to Doug Padilla of ESPN, Ryu is hoping to use the outing as a springboard moving forward:
“It was definitely a long road back, but I was glad I was able to put up the performance I did today,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “I was able to make a quality start. It would have been better if I was able to do this from the start of the season, but it took me four games to do it. I hope to build on this performance.”
Monday’s start was Ryu’s first this season in which he did not surrender a home run. On the year, he’s allowed six home runs in 21.1 innings pitched. What’s more, Ryu’s velocity held throughout the outing and his pitch mix was reminiscent of his pre-injury form.
Getting consistent production from Ryu would suit the Dodgers rotation well, as the team continues to be hampered by short outings. Though, the offense certainly has not provided much margin for error.
