After Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu each threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium at the end of April, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts voiced cautious optimism over their progress.
He added the rehabbing starters were also on track to return around the same time, though Roberts wasn’t yet certain of a date. McCarthy and Ryu each went on to suffer a setback in their respective recoveries.
Ryu’s came during a rehab assignment and as a result of the southpaw increasing his velocity. It forced him to be sidelined multiple weeks.
McCarthy briefly had his throwing program halted as he was building up to beginning his rehab assignment. The duo has since joined Triple-A Oklahoma City on rehab.
According to ESPN’s Doug Padilla, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated it’s plausible McCarthy and Ryu return prior to the All-Star break:
Manager Dave Roberts did not rule out the possibility of both Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu returning before the break.
McCarthy threw five innings, allowed three runs and had four strikeouts in two rehab starts with High-A Rancho Cucamonga. He went 3.2 innings and allowed one run in his first start with Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Ryu also made a pair of starts for the Quakes in his second go-around in a rehab assignment, allowing two runs (one earned) over seven innings. He was tagged for eight runs on 11 hits over four innings in a start with OKC on Thursday.
While McCarthy’s turn in the rotation is one day ahead of Ryu’s, the latter is a tick ahead in the rehab schedule. Ryu will likely take the mound for one more outing in Oklahoma City, while McCarthy is expected to make multiple starts.
After Saturday, the Dodgers have 15 games before the All-Star break.