ACE IN THE PLACE
With Springer and Hernandez unavailable, Blue Jays fortunate Ryu had his stuff
In all his brilliance, HyunJin Ryu was on the mound to face the New York Yankees Tuesday night in Dunedin and pitching like the ace he was expected to on the Blue Jays' road to contention.
Now if only he could have some more of the high-powered company in the starting nine.
The grim medical news surrounding the Jays took another two-pronged hit prior to the 7-3 win over the Bronx Bombers at TD Ballpark, most notably with the revelation that the team's top player from 2020, Teoscar Hernandez, tested positive for COVID-19.
Add to that the return to health of $150-million man George Springer, who continues to move along at an agonizingly plodding pace for a team looking to get off to a quick start and to reap the potential of the former Astros star.
Undaunted by the pregame prognosis, the Jays followed with one of their more complete games of the young season. The crafty left arm of Ryu has rarely been more effective and with some run support from the still-deep lineup, the veteran helped his team improve to 5-6.
Once again, the resilience of manager Charlie Montoyo's team is being put to the test in a March-April stretch that could barely have gone worse from a health standpoint.
First to Hernandez, who entered the season with such promise, coming off a Silver Slugger award from a breakout 2020 season. After being exposed to someone who had tested positive this past Friday, the outfielder was placed in isolation.
He was tested daily since, with negative results until Tuesday. With the resulting positive, MLB protocols mandate that Hernandez goes into a 10-day, no-contact isolation.
Of potentially greater concern is the fact that Hernandez has been suffering at least mild symptoms, according to Montoyo.
“He was symptomatic (Monday) night and then we found out he tested positive,” the manager said. “He's doing better as we speak.”
Montoyo said that Hernandez hasn't had contact with the team since last Thursday, which is one good seemingly fortunate aspect. We've seen how the virus can paralyze a sports team, even one that has been as meticulous with protocols as the Jays, who didn't have a positive test during the 2020 season.
Complicating matters is the ongoing vaccination of Jays players, a process staggered so as to avoid overloading the injury list with players felled by symptoms. Players already vaccinated were administered doses of Johnson and Johnson, which are now on pause in the U.S.
“We'll see when we get the other ones,” Montoyo said. “And it will be two shots.”
The bottom line for Hernandez's return is still unknown, but he already has missed four games and will miss a minimum of seven more.
While in isolation, the outfielder will be monitored by the Jays medical staff and will have to be cleared by both the league and the team while passing a mandatory cardiac test before returning to action.
The status of Springer has its own complications. The team may have been encouraged by the fact that he took batting practice prior to Tuesday's game, but Montoyo said the former Astros star will not accompany the team on a seven-game, eight-day road trip beginning Thursday in Kansas City. After that, the team returns to the Dunedin area for a three-game series versus the Rays.
Springer's original injury, the Grade 2 oblique strain, has mostly healed, according to the team but he hasn't been able to run because of his second setback, what was originally billed as a mild quad strain.
“The whole idea behind him staying back is going to the alternate site and getting as many at-bats as he can get and keep going with his rehab,” Montoyo said. “But he's doing better. It's all about the running now.”
START 'EM UP
Ryu frustrated Yankees hitters (and amateur umps in the visitors dugout) with his seven strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work for his first win of the season.
The South Korean southpaw was brilliant, striking out seven while holding the Yankees to just four hits. On the heels of a similar effort in Texas, when he struck out seven in a seven-inning losing effort, Ryu lowered his ERA to 1.89.
The lone Yankees run came in the seventh and was unearned after a throwing error to first by third baseman Cavan Biggio.
Ryu is certainly cementing his presence at the top of the Jays rotation and has now allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his past 13 starts. And equally as encouraging, Ryu has pitched into the seventh in three of his past four regular-season starts.
GAME ON
The extended absence of both Springer and Hernandez creates a land of opportunity for some and outfielder Josh Palacios seems ready to take advantage. A two-run RBI single with two out in the second inning got the Jays on the scoreboard ... There were some other noteworthy offensive contributions on Tuesday. In no particular order: A Rowdy Tellez homer in the fifth, his first of the season, that earned him the silent treatment in the Jays dugout. Two-hit nights from both Bo Bichette (who extended his on-base streak to 10 games), Vlad Guerrero Jr. (who has now reached in every game this season) and Biggio. And Marcus Semien with his team-leading fourth homer, a solo shot in the fourth ... Reliever David Phelps had to exit in the eighth after taking a linedrive clocked at 106 miles per hour off his back.