With five in the rotation, Ryu might pitch in relief
The Dodgers revealed their rotation for this weekend’s series against the Chicago Cubs: Alex Wood will start Friday, Brandon McCarthy will go Saturday and Clayton Kershaw will handle the finale.
That means that HyunJin Ryu (2-5, 4.75 ERA), who has not pitched since May 18, will not make a start until Monday in St. Louis at the earliest. Ryu gave up seven hits but held the Miami Marlins to two runs in 51⁄3 innings last week. It was not enough to earn him an opportunity to pitch this week, not with Kenta Maeda being activated from the disabled list Thursday.
With Ryu on extended rest, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated the club has considered using him as a long reliever. Ryu has never pitched out of the bullpen in his major league career, though he did make a handful of relief appearances in Korea.
“If that were to happen, it wouldn’t be permanent,” Roberts said. “We have an excess of quality starting pitchers. So to try to get innings for guys is tough. I think he’s open to doing whatever he can to help our ballclub.”
Ryu can refuse any assignment to the minor leagues. He has already spent time on the 10-day disabled list with a minor injury. But he is considered the sixth-most-reliable member of the Dodgers’ six-man rotation. Which means Ryu might get squeezed as the Dodgers navigate roster management.
Ryu appeared in only one game in 2015 and in 2016 as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Some rival scouts do not believe his arsenal would make a significant leap if he shifted into the bullpen.
“If it were to happen, it’s something he’s never done,” Roberts said. “So you’ve got to appreciate that. And there’s a potential routine change, and you’ve got to be sensitive to that. There’s a lot of variables. So it’s not an easy thing. We really want to talk through it and make the right decision.”
Roberts engaged in a lengthy conversation with Ryu after Ryu threw a flatground session before Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
“Just making sure Ryu feels fine physically, mentally, emotionally, and he’s in a good place,” Roberts said. “We’re trying to figure out when we can get him back in the mix.”