Ryu Hyun-jin could be in the starting lineup immediately↑ "Toronto has no pitchers left they can trust"

 With the Toronto Blue Jays' four-man rotation slowly reaching its limits, it's likely that Hyun-jin Ryu, 36, will be thrust into the starting rotation upon his return.

"If a team is running a four-man rotation like Toronto is right now, there's going to be a lot of pressure on the other starters. It's a wide range," he said, referring to Toronto's stretched starting staff.

This season, Toronto started ambitiously with a starting rotation of Kevin Gausman (32), Alec Manoa (25), Jose Berrios (29), Chris Bassett (34), and Yusei Kikuchi (32). They brought in Bassitt for his consistency, and the struggling Kikuchi rebounded in exhibition games. With plenty of starting options waiting in Triple-A, it was a bonus to have Ryu, who had elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) and was targeting a July return.

But with a month to go before the All-Star break, that cushion is nowhere to be found. While Gaussman and Berrios have been adequate with 3.01 and 3.28 ERAs, respectively, Bassett and Kikuchi have not been able to fill the No. 3 role with 4.02 and 4.31 ERAs. Worst of all, Manoa, who had become a second starter, has been sent to the minors after completely collapsing with a 1-7 record and 6.36 ERA in 13 games.

Numerous starting options were put to the test to fill Manoa's void, but all failed. According to Sportsnet, "Toronto's pitching staff needs five starters. Before the season was over, none of the depth options Toronto relied on were left." Sportsnet began to describe the devastated state of the Toronto five-man rotation.

"Mitch White is still out, and top prospect Ricky Tiedemann is injured. Zach Thompson and Drew Hutchison are no longer in Toronto. Casey Lawrence is struggling on bullpen days. Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis in other roles (long relief) are stopgaps, not long-term solutions," he soberly analyzed.

Then came Ryu Hyun-jin. "Ideally, Manoa would be back in the minors by his scheduled July 1 start," Sportsnet wrote. That's fine for now, but if the sixth starter, Ryu Hyun-jin, is healthy enough to return later this summer, he needs to be plugged into the lineup immediately."

The ongoing struggles of Toronto's starters have made the return of Hyun-jin Ryu, who is coming off a year-long absence due to surgery, highly anticipated. Ryu's rehabilitation process has picked up momentum recently, giving Toronto hope. 토토사이트

On Sunday, Ryu threw one inning of live pitching at Toronto's training facility in Dunedin, Florida, with the bases loaded. This is the second time he has pitched in Toronto since joining the club on March 24, when he threw a bullpen session in front of manager John Schneider and his teammates. After being debriefed, Schneider was reportedly pleased.

The next step is to increase his pitch count. He will gradually increase the number of pitches he throws live and then start pitching in minor league games to get a feel for the game. If all goes well, he could return in July, his goal after his Tommy John surgery last June.