Heading into the 2018 season, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts conceded his club didn’t boast the same proven depth on their pitching staff that had been present in previous years.
Nonetheless, the likes of Walker Buehler and Ross Stripling have gone on to provide surprise contributions. So too was Hyun-Jin Ryu, but his campaign was derailed by a severe groin strain suffered in early May.
The left-hander was projected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break. Now having reached that point in the season, Ryu is making steady progress toward a return.
He recently threw a bullpen session and now is scheduled for another at Dodger Stadium, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu threw approximately 40 pitches in two simulated innings to hitters at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday. He will repeat the workout in Los Angeles on Saturday, expanding to three simulated innings.
“He’s coming along well,” Roberts said.
Ryu went 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA, 3.16 FIP and 0.88 WHIP in six starts before landing on the disabled list. He recorded 36 strikeouts against 10 walks over 29.2 innings pitched in those outings.
That the 31-year-old is adding on to his workload is a positive sign. Just last month, Ryu experienced tightness in his groin that forced him to end a bullpen session prematurely.
Whenever Ryu is prepared to return, the Dodgers will need to make moves on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters, as he was transferred to the 60-day disabled list in June when the team claimed P.J. Conlon off waivers. Conlon promptly returned to the New York Mets on a waiver claim four days later.
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