Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu will continue with their respective rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City. McCarthy is scheduled to start Wednesday night and throw four innings or 45-50 pitches.
He tossed five innings, allowed three runs and had four strikeouts in two rehab starts with High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Just as it will with Oklahoma City, McCarthy’s time with the Quakes overlapped with Ryu’s.
The southpaw also made a pair of starts for the Quakes, allowing two runs (one earned) over seven innings. Including outings during his previous rehab assignment, Ryu has started five games as he looks to navigate his way back from shoulder surgery.
Ryu is expected to throw five innings or 65 pitches in a rehab start with Oklahoma City on Thursday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said he wants Ryu to prove he’s capable of remaining healthy before serious consideration is given to activating him from the disabled list.
Ryu missed all of last season after undergoing surgery to repair the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. It was believed he’d return in time for the start of the 2016 season, but his recovery has progressed at a slow rate and included multiple setbacks.
Along with health, velocity is a focal point with Ryu. “I think his velocity in his last start averaged 86 mph. I think we’ll see a tick up over the next two starts,” Roberts said this week.
“If he can average 88 or 89 mph, something like that, we just want to see improvement. I think with where Ryu is at, he hit 89 mph a few times, but the average of 86 needs to be a tick up. We expect it will. For him to pitch in a Major League game, 88 is the minimum.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy made just four starts in his first season after signing a four-year, $48 million contract. Both rehabbing starters are expected to make several more starts before they are reinstated from the DL.
