Blue Jays: June Starting Rotation, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Ugly

Hyun Jin Ryu – 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
The Hyun Jin Ryu time in Toronto has likely now come to an end as he required Tommy John surgery, and there is a good chance that he won’t just miss the remainder of the 2022 season, but could miss all of 2023.  Ryu who had spent time on the Injured List earlier in the season looked like he got healthy when he returned in May posting 1.72 ERA over three starts in which the Blue Jays won every game.

During his only start in the month on June 1, AJ Pollock led off the game with a home run, but Ryu was able to retire the next nine batters before falling apart in the fourth inning.  Ryu would allow another home run, as well as a pair of doubles that led to a couple more runs and he was out of the game after the inning.

The day after his start Ryu was placed on the injured list with left forearm inflammation which was a similar injury that kept him out of the rotation for almost a month earlier in the season.  Rest appeared to not help him improve, which led to the Tommy John surgery and Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that the recovery would be anywhere between 12-18 months.

Ryu is set to earn the final $20 Million in 2023 from the four-year, $80 Million dollar deal he signed with the Blue Jays prior to the 2020 season.  In his first year with the club he was one of the better pitchers in the American League as he posted a 5-2 record with a 2.69 ERA over 12 starts during the COVID shortened season.  Over the next two seasons Ryu battled injuries and was unable to maintain the success from his first year as Blue Jays pitcher, however, he still had a 16-10 record with a 4.55 ERA and 1.25 WHIP between 2021-22.

Do you think the current five man rotation that ended June will be the same rotation that starts in August?