The Blue Jays will look to Hyun Jin Ryu for a much needed win today

After yesterday’s loss to the Tampa Bay, the Toronto Blue Jays currently hold a 17-16 record and sit 7.0 games back of the red hot Yankees in the AL East. The Jays only have two wins in their last ten games and currently rank 17th in terms of OPS (.683) and 16th in the league with their 102 wRC+.

Overall, the Blue Jays’ offense has struggled to put runs on the board and bring home batters that are in scoring position, as well as the bullpen is starting to get worn down, evident by their collective 4.26 ERA which is 25th in the league. To top it all off, centre fielder George Springer left yesterday’s game with an ankle sprain and could miss some time if the injury is bad enough (there is no real update as of yet other than it appears “mild” at this time).

That being said, the Blue Jays will likely get some reinforcements back today and depending on who you ask within the fanbase, some are a little more cautious before the celebrations begin.

Southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu is rumoured to be activated from the IL for today’s game, which would put him in line for the start in the second game of the Tampa Bay Rays series. Ryu has struggled early this season, surrendering 11 runs through 7.2 innings and two starts, and was placed on the IL back in mid-April with left arm inflammation. He made a rehab start for the Buffalo Bisons last Saturday and went four innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters.

Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu is reportedly going to be today’s starter against the Rays as the club looks for a much needed win.

There is also a chance that the Blue Jays will also activate catcher Danny Jansen from the IL, as he has been dealing with an oblique injury suffered after the first series of the year against the Texas Rangers. The righty-batter was off to a hot start at the plate before the injury, going 4 for 7 with two home runs with one walk and zero strikeouts, so hopefully he can find that same rhythm at the plate when he returns, whether it be today or sometime over the next few days.

With the Blue Jays in a slump as of late, the going will only get tougher as they continue their series in Tropicana Field, a stadium that the Jays have struggled in the past to find any sort of groove in. Last year, the Jays played nine games in Tampa and earned a collective .570 OPS while hitting below the Mendoza line at .188.

With the loss yesterday and the Blue Jays in the midst of a funk, one can only hope that Hyun Jin Ryu is healthy and ready to go deep in today’s game, as the club needs a win in the worst way right now and appear to have quite a few hurdles in their way to achieving their goal.