In the same week the Los Angeles Dodgers activated Clayton Kershaw off the 10-day injured list for his 2019 debut, they also welcomed back Hyun-Jin Ryu after he was sidelined by a left groin strain.
Ryu suffered the injury in the second inning of his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 8. Ryu was removed from the outing but nonetheless believed he would be able to avoid the injured list.
Although that didn’t wind up being the case, his return came after just a 12-day absence. The injury led to Ryu missing last weekend’s three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers, but he took the mound Saturday in position to help the Dodgers clinch a series win at Miller Park.
Ryu relied on a steady dose of changeups early, which he deemed necessary out of precaution, via SportsNet LA:
“I felt fine. At first maybe I was a bit cautious because I didn’t want my groin to flare up again. As the game progressed, I felt more comfortable and toward the end of the game I was like my normal self. I think one good takeaway from this outing is the fact that despite missing 12 days, I came out healthy.”
Ryu eventually began to incorporate more fastballs, which averaged 89.2 mph and topped out at 92.2 mph. He induced a combined six swinging strikes with the four- and two-seam fastballs, which was matched by the six off an effective changeup.
Ryu finished with nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings, and was only done in by a pair of solo home runs hit by Christian Yelich. The first came on a low changeup that was located in a good spot, and the second when Ryu attempted to surprise the Brewers’ slugger with a curveball.
While the Dodgers had their six-game winning streak snapped, Ryu’s performance and overall health were encouraging signs.
