The report that will filter back to the Toronto Blue Jays out of Sahlen Field on Saturday afternoon will say that veteran pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu is healthy. That's the important thing.
Sharp enough to again be a solid contributor to the rotation? That answer is yet to be determined.
Ryu's injury rehab start with the Buffalo Bisons was decent on the eye test, albeit not on the scorecard. The Korean left-hander worked through all of his pitches and got his velocity where it usually is in the low 90s. He had no issues with the forearm inflammation that landed him on the disabled list three weeks ago and said he'll meet up with the parent club next weekend in Tampa Bay so it can decide on his next steps.
"I threw all the pitches that I wanted to and got that out of the way, so it felt the same for me," Ryu said through an interpreter after his four-inning stint in the Bisons' 7-6 loss to the Durham Bulls. "Physically I feel really good right now."
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Ryu said no issues with forearm: "Physically I feel really good right now. ... I'm sure that there isn't a player who plays at 100% condition, I'm sure every one has their own little minor hiccups or issues with their body. And I think that's just what it was." #Bluejays #Bisons pic.twitter.com/tYzFeGvdh3
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) May 7, 2022
Ryu, 35, has a 73-45 career record with the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers but endured a 13.50 ERA over his first two starts this season. He was 14-10 last year, tying for the team victory lead, but seems like a classic older pitcher still trying to overcome the shortened spring training.
Ryu threw 49 of his 74 pitches for strikes while fanning out six and walking none. He left in a 5-0 hole because of three unearned runs in the third caused by Josh Fuentes' two-out throwing error at third. Ford Proctor followed with a two-run homer to deep left-center through the teeth of a strong wind on a 91-mph fastball.
"I played enough games here before so I wasn't really too surprised," Ryu said. "They had good barrel on it. So I think that's the reason why it actually flew over the fence."
"I'm confused on what's happening right now with the wind," said Buffalo manager Casey Candaele. "I saw the right-field flag was blowing pretty hard. If you get it up there, everybody that hit home runs today, I think they hit him pretty hard."
The home run off Ryu. You can see the flags really blowing to RF at the end of the clip. We were surprised this one went out. #Bluejays #Bisons https://t.co/dahtXuZi3N
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) May 7, 2022
It was notable, however, that Ryu rebounded in the fourth inning for a 1-2-3 frame on just 13 pitches to complete his outing.
"That's a professional and he's done it a lot," Candaele said. "You don't get worried about what happens behind you. You just keep throwing your game."
Ryu was the Toronto starter and threw the first pitch for Buffalo's first modern-era MLB game, the Blue Jays' 5-4, 10-inning win over Miami on Aug. 11, 2020. And he threw seven shutout innings here on Sept. 24, 2020, to beat the Yankees in the game that allowed the Blue Jays to clinch an American League wild-card berth. Last year, Ryu went 2-3 here.
"If it was a different place where I've never been before, there's gonna be that obstacle and that unsure feeling," Ryu admitted. "But having that two years of playing in this field gave me that extra familiarity."
Game recap
Ryu took the loss as the Bisons nearly battled back from deficits of 5-0 and 7-2. Buffalo (16-13) had just four hits but all of them went for extra bases and drove in runs.
Nathan Lukes cracked a two-run double in the third and that was Buffalo's only hit until Otto Lopez's two-run triple to right in the seventh got the Bisons within 7-4. Solo homers by left fielder Samad Taylor and catcher Stevie Berman in the eighth cut the deficit to a run but Buffalo got no closer.
It was the third straight one-run game in the series. The teams traded 5-4 wins the last two nights, each responding to earn the victory after blowing 4-0 leads. Buffalo won Friday on catcher Gabriel Moreno's RBI single against a five-man infield in the ninth.
The homestand concludes Sunday at 1 (Radio 1520 AM) as Thomas Hatch (1-1, 6.63) is Buffalo's scheduled starter. Durham leads the series, 3-2.
In honor of Mother's Day, moms can join their kids on the field for postgame run the bases. Bisons players will wear special Mother's Day caps that will be autographed after the game for the winners of an in-game raffle.
