Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin undergoes season-ending elbow operation

Toronto Blue Jays starter Ryu Hyun-jin has undergone season-ending elbow surgery, a procedure that will keep him out for at least a year. The Blue Jays announced Saturday in Toronto, before hosting the New York Yankees, that Ryu received "revision ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with a flexor tendon repair." In simple terms, Ryu had Tommy John surgery. The club had been hoping that the South Korean pitcher would only need a partial, more minor repair, but it was decided during

June 19, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to undergo season-ending elbow surgery

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will miss the rest of this season with ligament damage in his left elbow, an injury that also puts the rest of the 35-year-old's big league career in jeopardy. The team announced, prior to hosting the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto on Tuesday (local time), that Ryu will soon undergo a season-ending left elbow operation. The exact nature of the surgery has not been determined. Ryu will either have a full reconstruction on h

June 15, 2022

Pirates' Park Hoy-jun recalled from minors for 2nd time

The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled their South Korean utility player Park Hoy-jun from the minors for the second time this season. The Pirates brought Park up from Triple-A Indianapolis before taking on the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday (local time). Park was not in the starting lineup. Park made the Opening Day roster and played five games in April before being optioned to the minors on April 22. The 26-year-old was called up on May 29 but was sent back down the

June 14, 2022

Injured Blue Jays' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin 'a ways away' from returning: manager

The Toronto Blue Jays lost their South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin to arm problems following his outing on June 1. Nearly two weeks later, they still have no idea when he will be back. Following the Blue Jays' 6-0 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday (local time), manager Charlie Montoyo said, "I don't even know how Ryu is right now." "He's a ways away," Montoyo told reporters. "I'm not saying he's done (for the seaso

June 13, 2022

Backup infielder making most of rare opportunity in KBO

After taking a circuitous route to the top South Korean professional baseball league, LG Twins' infielder Son Ho-young is trying to stake his claim as an everyday second baseman, not with his signature glove or speed, but with his bat. An opportunity has opened up for Son this month after veteran second baseman Seo Geon-chang was sidelined with an injury to his right side. Seo's initial backup, Song Chan-eui, enjoyed a good stretch in late May while spelling Seo, but has been quiet in

June 13, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man smacks 5th homer, takes team RBI lead

With his fifth home run of the season powering a nine-game hitting streak, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays has also taken the club lead in RBIs. Choi belted a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday (local time). Choi's blast proved to be the difference in the Rays' 2-1 victory, their third in a row. Batting third, the South Korean first baseman took starter Miles Mikolas over the right field fence with a line drive

June 10, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to get 2nd opinion on elbow

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin, out with a left forearm injury, will get a second opinion on his ailing arm this week in California, the club announced. General manager Ross Atkins told reporters on Tuesday, with the Blue Jays in Kansas City for a road series, that Ryu will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles on Thursday for an assessment. Ryu was placed on the 15-day injured list (IL) last Thursday with left forearm infla

June 8, 2022

Puig heating up as Heroes chase down 1st place in KBO

With their prized offseason acquisition heating up heading into summer, the Kiwoom Heroes are closing in on first place in South Korean baseball. Yasiel Puig, the former National League All-Star and the biggest name to arrive in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in the offseason, has finally begun to look like the hitter that the Heroes had envisioned he would be when they gave him a US$1 million contract in December. Puig is batting .361/.442/.639 in his past 10 games, with two home runs, 1

June 7, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin lands on injured list with left forearm inflammation

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has been sidelined with arm problems for the second time this season. The Blue Jays placed Ryu on the 15-day injured list (IL) with left forearm inflammation Thursday (Toronto time), a day after the left-hander pitched four innings against the Chicago White Sox through pain. Ryu gave up three runs -- one unearned -- on four hits in those four frames but was lifted after just 58 pitches with the Blue Jays leading 5-3. The team later an

June 3, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin surrenders 2 homers in abbreviated start

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays has served up two home runs in an outing for the first time this season, taking a no-decision in an abbreviated start against the Chicago White Sox. The South Korean left-hander was taken out after throwing only 58 pitches over four innings. He gave up three runs -- one unearned -- on four hits, and he struck out four without walking anybody. Three of those four hits went for extra bases. A.J. Pollock led off the game with a solo shot in the first, and Jose

June 2, 2022

Pirates' Park Hoy-jun called up to majors, thrown out at home in extra innings

Park Hoy-jun's first game in the majors in over a month didn't go the way he would have liked. The South Korean utility player was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates before their road game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Sunday (local time). Park entered the game as the pinch runner in the top of the 10th inning but was thrown out at home plate in an ill-fated attempt to break the 2-2 tie. The Padres walked off on the Bucs with Trent Grisham's two-run b

May 30, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man homers in win over Yankees

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays has homered for the fourth time this season. Choi delivered a game-tying solo shot against the New York Yankees in the bottom of the second inning, as the Rays went on to prevail 4-2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). The opposite field blast, off starter Luis Severino, was Choi's fourth home run of 2022. It was also Choi's only hit of the game. He is now batting .260/.374/.458 for the season with 20 RBIs. The South

May 30, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin showing better velocity, command since return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has made four appearances so far this year. In terms of performances, there is a distinct demarcation line between the first two and the last two of those outings. In the first two games, Ryu struggled with command of his pitches and his fastball velocity, never that high to begin with, left much to be desired. He was rocked to the tune of 11 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings for a 13.50 ERA. Ryu went through a rough spell in the second half o

May 25, 2022

Veteran hitters closing in on milestones in KBO

A pair of former major leaguers plying their trade back in South Korea will be closing in on offensive milestones this week. Kim Hyun-soo of the LG Twins is six hits away from becoming the 16th player in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history to reach 2,000 career hits. With seven more RBIs, KT Wiz slugger Park Byung-ho will join 20 others in the 1,000-RBI club. Kim, a two-time batting champion who led the KBO in hits in 2008 and 2009, has long been destined for a place among all-time hits le

May 24, 2022

KBO-leading SSG Landers in for tough week against contenders

The SSG Landers have spent the entire 2022 South Korean baseball season so far in first place. Their throne will face a serious challenge this week, with a pair of three-game sets on the horizon against clubs right below them in the standings. The Landers went 2-4 last week in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the first time they failed to play at least .500 ball in a full week since the season began on April 2. The Landers' suddenly-shaky bullpen will be tested in a midweek series against

May 17, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin solid in return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has marked his return from injury with the best outing of the young season. Ryu was charged with one earned run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday (local time). That lone run came via a leadoff home run by Yandy Diaz in the bottom first, and Ryu held the Rays to three more hits the rest of the way. It was Ryu's third start of this season but first since Apri

May 15, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to return from injury on weekend

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to return to the mound after missing the past few weeks with left arm problems. Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters in New York on Tuesday (local time), before a game against the Yankees, that Ryu was on track to start against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road Saturday. The game begins 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, or 7:10 a.m. Sunday (Korean time). Ryu was placed on the 10-day injur

May 11, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man strikes out 3 times in return from injury

The Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man is back from injury, though not in any fashion that he would have liked. Choi struck out three times while going 0-for-4 at the plate against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday (local time). The Rays lost the game 2-1 in 10 innings. This was Choi's first game since April 26. The Rays placed Choi on the 10-day injured list (IL) on May 1 due to loose bodies in his right elbow, and the move was retroactive to April 2

May 9, 2022

Veteran KBO catcher takes pride in speed

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of baseball catchers? It could be a lot of things, but speed is probably not one of them. But Yoo Kang-nam, a veteran backstop for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), claims he is that rare breed of catchers who can run. He doesn't want you to get fooled by his almost nonexistent stolen base total -- just seven in 917 career games in a career that began in 2011. Yoo will gladly submit his baserunning heroics from Tu

May 4, 2022

As only active S. Korean big leaguer, Padres' Kim Ha-seong showing life at plate

Four South Korean players were on Opening Day rosters for their respective clubs in April. But with the first month of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) season in the books, only one of them is active in the bigs at the moment: Kim Ha-seong, the second-year infielder for the San Diego Padres. Toronto Blue Jays' starter Ryu Hyun-jin (left forearm) and Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man (right elbow) are both on the 10-day injured list (IL). Park Hoy-jun, utility player for the Pittsburg

May 3, 2022