In 14-month comeback, Ryu's special assignment falls to Hyun-jin Ryu stop Toronto's three-game losing streak

In his first Major League Baseball (MLB) start in a year and two months, "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, of the Toronto Blue Jays, has been tasked with saving his team from a three-game losing streak.

Ryu will take the mound against the Baltimore Orioles at 8:07 a.m. ET on April 2 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

It will be exactly one year and two months since Ryu made his big league debut. This is the first time since June 2 of last year, when he was forced to leave the game against the Chicago White Sox due to elbow pain.

He underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) and spent more than a year rehabbing. After four successful rehabilitation appearances, he finally returned to the majors.

In his first game back, Ryu will face a Baltimore team that has been transformed into a powerhouse. The Baltimore Orioles, once the weakest team in the American League East, have completely turned things around this year. With a 65-41 record, the Orioles are in first place in the American League East. They took the first game of a four-game series against Toronto on April 1, winning 4-2.

Toronto's recent struggles have put a lot of weight on Ryu's shoulders.

After two straight losses, Toronto is 59-48, 6.5 games behind Baltimore, and hasn't been able to make any headway in the American League wild-card race. The slump could be prolonged if Toronto drops two games in two days.

Additionally, the Toronto offense, which is supposed to help Ryu, has struggled in its last two games, scoring just two runs in each.

In the first game against Baltimore, they missed two late chances.

Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, when leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield drove in a run with a solo shot, Toronto continued to pile on the offense. Brandon Belt and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second, but the next batter was stranded.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Orioles drew two walks to put runners on first and second with no outs, leaving Toronto shaking their heads.

Looking to avoid a third straight loss and close the gap on Baltimore, Toronto will turn to the returning Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu is 5-1 with a 4.35 ERA in nine career starts against Baltimore.


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