Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will return to the big leagues this week after recovering from shoulder surgery, his manager announced Monday.

Before the Dodgers opened a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium, Dave Roberts told reporters the South Korean left-hander will start against the San Diego Padres at home Thursday.

It will be a 7:10 p.m. start local time. That's 11:10 a.m. Friday in Korea.

Ryu went under the knife to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in May last year and missed the entire 2015 season. His last big league appearance was Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 6, 2014.

"I've been preparing well for my return to the big leagues,"

Ryu told reporters in the clubhouse. "I think it won't hit me until the day of the start."

Ryu is 4-0 in five career starts against the Padres and has a 0.84 ERA in 32 1/3 innings, with 32 strikeouts against five walks.

He won 14 games in each of his first two seasons of 2013 and 2014. Ryu is the first player to make the jump from the Korea Baseball Organization to the majors via posting.

Ryu signed a six-year, $36 million deal before the 2013 season. He is signed through 2018 but can opt out in 2017 if he pitches 750 innings combined from 2013 to 2017. He's sitting at 344 innings.

Ryu, who made eight minor league rehab appearances, will be joining a banged-up staff missing three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, who's on the disabled list with a herniated disk.

At 47-37, the Dodgers are sitting 5.5 games behind the National League West leaders, the San Francisco Giants, which beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 earlier Monday. (Yonhap)