The Blue Jays may have some help coming soon for the fifth spot in the rotation.
On Friday afternoon, TSN’s Scott Mitchell reported that Hyun-Jin Ryu is set to go on a rehab assignment on July 4th. 
Where the assignment will be hasn’t been announced, but the fact that he’s down 30 pounds is absolutely phenomenal news. His fastball is only sitting 88 mph, but I’d expect that to bump up a little bit before rejoining the Blue Jays.
Ryu’s best season as a Blue Jay was in 2020, his first season with the club. He had a 2.69 ERA and a 3.01 FIP, along with a 26.2 K% and a 6.2 BB% in 67 innings pitched. He finished third in American League Cy Young voting that season, kick starting a three-year streak (and possibly more) of Blue Jays pitchers being nominated for the award.
His 2021 wasn’t as good, as he had a 4.37 ERA and a 4.02 FIP in 169 innings pitched, along with a 20.4 K% and a 5.3 BB%. He had a hot start, but he eventually struggled towards the end of the season, and injuries caught up to him.
In 2022, Ryu had the worst season of his career, posting a 5.67 ERA and a 4.78 FIP in 27 innings pitched. He last pitched on June 1st, 2022 before his season ended prematurely due to getting his second Tommy John surgery.
Ryu is in the final year of his 4-year, $80 million deal. He is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, but hopefully he can help the Jays fill their fifth starter role before then.

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