Dodgers Believe Ryu Will Be Ready By Spring Training

Hyun-jin Ryu is on the road to recovery, but the Dodgers believe he will be ready in time for Spring Training.

Looks like the Dodgers got some good news Tuesday morning. It is not a secret that the starting rotation still needs a lot of work before April rolls around and the season starts. However, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported that he believes Hyun-jin Ryu will be ready come Spring Training.

Ryu signed with the Dodgers in 2012 following seven professional seasons in South Korea. The Dodgers signed him to a six year, $36 million dollar deal which even includes an opt out after the fifth season if he does not reach a set number of innings pitched.

Following the 2013 season, Ryu pitched in 192 innings and posted an ERA of only 3.00. He proved to be what the Dodgers hoped, at least so it seemed. In 2014, Ryu struggled with some injuries, but still completed the season after pitching 152 innings with an ERA of 3.38. 2015 changed all of that. Ryu reported to Spring Training optimistic after his successful two seasons on the Dodgers club, but a few weeks into camp he mentioned he was suffering with some back soreness. The Dodgers took precautions and sat him on the bench. What seemed to be a minor problem quickly escalated. When Ryu went to pitch again, he noticed something else was bothering him. This time it was his shoulder. The 2015 season started with Ryu on the disable list and it only got worse from there. On May 4th he was placed on the 60-day DL. Even though Ryu admitted he was feeling better, the Dodgers noted his velocity was diminishing during his bullpen sessions. On May 21 Ryu underwent surgery to repair his left shoulder labrum. Surgery meant all hope of Ryu joining the starting rotation in 2015 would be impossible.

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Since that day in May Ryu has been on the road to recovery. It has been a slow process, but things seem to be looking up. Gurnick reported that Ryu is currently playing catch up to 120 feet. Athletic trainers believe if he keeps up his routine that he will be ready when it comes time to report to Arizona in the spring.

Assuming all goes well, this is huge for the Dodgers and Dodger fans. After losing Zack Greinke to the Diamondbacks so far this offseason, it is imperative that another steady pitcher is added to the rotation. Though it is hard to compare Greinke’s numbers to other pitchers, Ryu has proven to be reliable in the past and that is just what the Dodgers need coming into the 2016 season.