Hyun-Jin Ryu is out to reclaim his spot
By Cary Osborne
The mixture is disappointment and motivation. Both are clearly delivered with Hyun-Jin Ryu’s answers.
He has missed much.
With one start in the last two seasons because of shoulder and elbow surgeries, Ryu’s rising star from the previous two seasons fell. And he knows it. And he’s out to change that.
“There’s no doubt there’s a burning desire for me to get back again because I’ve been absent for so long,” Ryu said. “Looking at my teammates and the organization, we have a very capable group of players, so I just want to go out there and compete.”
Ryu threw 33 pitches to hitters on Friday at Camelback Ranch, including a combined seven to Yasiel Puig and Andre Ethier.
Dodger pitching coach Rick Honeycutt stood by his side as he threw every pitch. His post-session assessment was glowing.
“There are no negatives right now,” Honeycutt said. “Very positive. Very good spin today. Curveball was actually extremely good. Fastball command has been good. It’s been impressive.”
Ryu, through an interpreter, said he is making his way back from both injuries, even though the shoulder surgery was in May 2015, and his elbow surgery was September 28. But the progress is good, he said.
“I almost feel as I did prior to the injury,” Ryu said.
As far as when he’ll pitch in a Cactus League game, nothing is set in stone. Honeycutt said Ryu might pitch in a backfield game at Camelback Ranch, but the hope is for more.
“Right now if he feels fine I’m hoping he’ll want to pitch in a regular game,” Honeycutt said.
Ryu feels a sense of urgency, though, and said how he feels Saturday will be a good indicator for him on the next steps.
“I feel like I’m falling behind compared to the other starting pitchers in the Dodgers organization right now,” Ryu said. “But I’m pretty sure by tomorrow I’ll figure out what I’m going to do next.
“My job is to go out there and prove that I can pitch throughout the season. Right now, in the clubhouse, there are many potential starters. My job is to compete and go out there and show who I am — like I was when I first got to the Dodgers.”
Between 2013–14, Ryu ranked 10th in the Major League Baseball in fielding independent pitching (2.97), 12th in the National League in ERA (3.17) and eighth in WAR (7.4).
His lone game in the last two seasons was July 7 at Dodger Stadium. He lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed six earned runs. Then he was done for the season, also missing his second consecutive postseason.
“It’s not just the postseason, the entire two seasons that I missed out on (have been tough),” Ryu said. “And there are other things I want to be part of.”
But there’s optimism. Ryu said there will be a point where he’ll really be back to where he was in 2013 and 2014.
“I think maybe a month and a few more days,” he said.
That would place the date around April 3 — Opening Day.
