Ryu goes on IL and will miss one start
Two days after staying relatively quiet during the trade deadline, the Dodgers made a flurry of roster moves Friday. Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the 10-day injured list with neck soreness, rookie pitchers Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin were called up from the minors, and reliever Dylan Floro was optioned to triple A.
Ryu’s move to the injured list, which was retroactive to Thursday, comes two days after he tossed six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies. He and manager Dave Roberts described his neck soreness, which flared up Thursday morning, as not serious. Roberts said Ryu won’t make his scheduled start next Monday, but doesn’t expect him to miss any additional time.
“I don’t think it will be that big of a deal,” Roberts said. “Where we’re at, just with his neck, we didn’t want to compromise anything.”
Ryu, who started for the National League in last month’s All-Star game and is a front-runner for the Cy Young Award, has the best ERA (1.53) and record (11-2) in the NL. This is the second time this year Ryu has been placed on the injured list. He missed a start in April because of a groin strain.
“I don’t think it’s going to take that long [to recover],” Ryu said through an interpreter. “It’s just discomfort, soreness. It’s not like a pain.”
Gonsolin, who was called up for the third time this season, will start in Ryu’s place Monday, according to Roberts. The right-hander, who is ranked as the franchise’s No. 6 overall prospect according to MLB.com, lost his only other start with Los Angeles, when he gave up six runs (four earned) in four innings in a June 26 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
May, the Dodgers’ No. 2 overall prospect, made his big league debut as the starter for Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
“Him and Tony, this is the first time we’ve had a chance to put extended eyes on both those guys,” Roberts said. “Just the way they fit in like big league ballplayers. The confidence, not to be over the line of too much arrogance or cockiness. Hard work, attention to detail.”
Floro was sent down two days after being activated from the injured list. Though he has a 4.00 ERA in 38 games this season, Roberts said he expects to see the right-hander back in the majors again this season. In order to make room on the 40man roster, the Dodgers also transferred left-handed pitcher Scott Alexander to the 60-day injured list with left forearm inflammation.
Short hops
A.J. Pollock appears to have avoided serious injury after being removed from Thursday’s game with a groin issue. Minor league outfielder Kyle Garlick was at Dodger Stadium on Friday as an emergency backup plan, but Roberts said Pollock felt “considerably better” and didn’t rule out him returning to the lineup Saturday .... Spectrum Networks announced it will simulcast five additional Dodgers games on KTLATV Channel 5 this season. Starting on Saturday, Aug. 31, the Dodgers’ final five regular-season Saturday games will be shown on the local broadcast station.