Los Angeles Dodgers: Can Hyun-Jin Ryu Contribute in 2017?

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu has missed virtually the entire last two seasons. Is there any hope he can stay healthy and perform in 2017?

Los Angeles Dodgers fans haven’t seen much of Hyun-Jin Ryu over the past two seasons. Injuries have derailed the Korean left-hander after a very promising start to his MLB career. He missed all of 2015 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He hoped to be ready to pitch in 2016, but he made just one start in July, an ugly outing in which he surrendered six runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings against the San Diego Padres.

Ryu was shut down again shortly thereafter with elbow pain, and he underwent a debridement procedure on his left elbow in September, officially ruling out any potential return that season and further clouding his future.

It might seem like the same old story, but Ryu is confident that he is finally healthy heading into Spring Training 2017. Yonhap News Agency’s Jee-ho Yoo reports that the Dodgers southpaw feels good and has been throwing in preparation for the upcoming campaign:

"“Right now, I’d say I am in better shape than I normally would be at the start of spring training,” Ryu told reporters at Incheon International Airport. “I threw four bullpen sessions while training in Japan. I have no pain at the moment.”"

Ryu also said that he plans to begin camp throwing from a mound, and that he is focused on winning a spot in L.A.’s rotation. He will certainly have his work cut out for him in that regard.

The Dodgers’ starting staff, like their team in general, was ravaged by injuries last year. They will hope to have better luck this season, and assuming they do, they should have plenty of depth available to them.

Clayton Kershaw leads the group, followed by Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill. Highly-touted youngster Julio Urias will presumably take the fourth spot, and then the Boys in Blue have some options to round out the rotation. Scott Kazmir is probably the safest bet, but Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood, Brock Stewart and Ross Stripling should all have a chance to compete, health permitting.

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But as the cliché goes, you can never have too much pitching, and the Dodgers would surely love to add a healthy, effective Ryu to the mix as well. In 2013 and 2014, he posted a 3.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 3.76 K/BB ratio over 344 innings. It was a bright start to the lefty’s career in the U.S., and though they seem far away now, those numbers are still a reminder of what he is capable of.

The clock is ticking, though. Ryu will turn 30 years old in March, and he is under contract with the Dodgers for two more seasons. Besides helping his current club, Ryu will want to prove his health and ability before free agency.

If Ryu indeed gets himself back on track, he could leapfrog his rotation competitors rather quickly. There is talk that the Dodgers could delay the start of Urias’ season to limit his innings, which would create another opening in the rotation, at least at the beginning of the year. And top prospect Jose De Leon, who many figured would be with the club at some point this season, was just dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Logan Forsythe trade. So if the other lower-end starters fail to impress, Ryu has a shot to separate himself from the pack.

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Nevertheless, one start in two years is the only stat that really seems to matter at the moment when it comes to Ryu. Before any sense of optimism can take hold, he will need to get back on a big league mound – and stay there.