Toronto Blue Jays’ Hyun-jin Ryu was welcomed by his hometown team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Blue Jays begin a two-game series against the 2023 Major League Baseball Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on April 26. Ryu Hyun-jin, who has yet to be called up to the big leagues, is also traveling with the team.
For Ryu, it’s a special trip. The Dodgers are the team he started his major league career against. Ryu crossed the Pacific Ocean via the posting system (a closed competitive bidding process) before the 2013 season. He signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Dodgers and arrived at Dodger Stadium.
From his rookie season, Ryu established himself as a key part of the starting rotation. He burst onto the scene with a 14-8 record and a 3.00 ERA in his first year. His performance was so crazy that he was nicknamed the “Korean Monster,” and over the course of six years, he went 54-33 with a 2.98 ERA.
He pitched alongside some of the best starters in the majors, including Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. In 2019, he was named to the All-Star Game and became the first Korean-American to start a major league game.
As a member of the Dodgers, Ryu also made it to the postseason. In 2013, he became the first Korean-American to make a postseason start in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against Atlanta, going 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings over the next two games. In 2014, he pitched six innings of one-run ball in Game 3 of the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2018, he went 1-0 with a 5.21 ERA in four games and 10 innings, and in 2019, he went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in five games.
After a stellar career with the Dodgers, Hyun-jin Ryu opted to join Toronto after becoming a free agent. Toronto offered him a four-year, $80 million deal. Since becoming Toronto’s No. 1 starter, Ryu has gone 21-12 with a 4.24 ERA over the past three seasons.
After taking a year off due to injury, Hyun-jin Ryu returned to Dodger Stadium with fond memories. Before the game, he greeted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and the coaching staff, and had a great time chatting with his teammates with whom he shared a potluck meal.아톰카지노
The Dodgers welcomed Ryu with open arms. Before the game, the public address announcer called Ryu’s name, and he came out of the dugout onto the field, took off his hat, and greeted the fans. The fans responded with cheers and applause.
In the other game, Toronto lost to the Dodgers 7-8.