“No bullpen experience” a likely reason for Ryu Hyun-jin’s WC roster exclusion, will this be how his season ends?

Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, is unlikely to play in fall baseball in 2023. Local media are also reporting that Ryu will be removed from the roster.

“Toronto has a 28-man roster for the season, but will have to cut two players for the wild card,” Canadian sportsnet, Blue Jays Nation and other local media reported on Wednesday (KST).

As reported, the roster will be reduced from 28 to 26 in the postseason. Toronto used 14 pitchers and 14 fielders in the season finale.

Now, with fall baseball in full swing, they’ll have to cut two players. Last year, Toronto had 13 pitchers and 13 fielders. This year, however, they decided to drop two pitchers.

The starting pitchers for Game 1 and Game 2 of the wild-card series against Minnesota are set. Kevin Gausman will start Game 1 and Jose Berrios will start Game 2.

It’s a no-brainer. In 31 games and 185 innings pitched, Gaussman was an ace with a 12-9 record and a 3.16 ERA, leading the American League in strikeouts with 237.

Berrios, the No. 2 overall pick, struggled last year. But he’s bounced back this year. In 32 games and 189⅔ innings, he went 11-12 with a 3.65 ERA.

The media predicted two pitchers who were likely to be left off the roster, and one of them was Hyun-jin Ryu.

Ryu is coming off a year-long rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. He started 11 games this season, going 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA. Although he faltered in the final two games against Tampa Bay, it was a solid season considering it was his comeback season. 메이저사이트

However, we won’t see Ryu in fall ball. The team cited Ryu’s bullpen experience as a reason. 

According to Blue Jays Nation, “Ryu has rarely pitched out of the bullpen in his major league career. Toronto will leave him out to make room for a number of bullpen arms.”

He’s not completely inexperienced. Against St. Louis on May 26, 2017. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ryu took the mound in the sixth inning after Genta Maeda and pitched four scoreless innings to earn a save.

Seven bullpen arms are expected to make the roster: Jordan Romano, Jordan Hicks, Tim Mayza, Eric Swanson, Yimi Garcia, Genesis Cabrera, and Chad Green.

Toronto will likely go with Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassett as a three-man rotation, with Yusei Kikuchi in the rotation if they advance to the Division Series.