Ryu Hyun-jin to Miss Rest of Season Due to Elbow Injury

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin requires surgery on his elbow and will miss the rest of the season.

Ryu has had a hard time maintaining his form due to the recurring elbow injury. He has consulted doctors for treatment options since he was placed on the injured list for a second time on June 3.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday, "We were hopeful that there was the potential of a conservative route and, you know, weighed the pros and cons of that and ultimately decided that it was best to move forward with the procedure."

He added that Dr. Neal Elattrache, who conducted surgery on the athlete's shoulder in 2015, will decide whether Ryu needs to undergo so-called "Tommy John surgery," in which a torn ligament inside the elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. Elattrache is considered the foremost expert on the procedure, which requires one to two years of recuperation.

Ryu was sidelined for a few weeks due to an inflamed elbow in April, not long after the season opened. Upon his return, he earned his first win of the season in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 20 but left the mound early in a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 2 due to a similar injury. He has since been put on the injured list again.

Atkins said, "Over time, that stretching and pulling makes the tightness occur and loss of dexterity or feel to execute his pitches or really finish them." He added, "He's professional and he's a very tough individual and has perspective, but he's extremely disappointed that he won't be part of this in the near term."

Ryu underwent Tommy John surgery when he was a junior in high school and spent a year recovering. After moving to Major League Baseball he underwent surgery on his left shoulder in 2015 and on his left elbow the following year when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He signed an $80-million, four-year contract with the Blue Jays before the 2020 season. Since his contract ends next year, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to return to the club after undergoing the treatment.