With the return of Ryu Hyun-jin (36) about a month away, a Canadian local is claiming that the Toronto Blue Jays need to bolster their starting staff. The list of possible candidates includes a name that Korean fans may recognize.

“We don’t know if Alex Manoa or Hyun-jin Ryu will be able to pitch well when they return,” the Canadian Sportsnet wrote on March 13 (KST), adding, “Toronto would be better off looking for a starting pitcher.”

They don’t need a Ryu or Manoa caliber player, but someone who can rotate in the starting rotation.

“They don’t need a signature pitcher, but they do need a resource to tide them over until Ryu is ready,” the outlet said.먹튀검증

Ryu has been rehabbing for the past year after undergoing ligament splicing surgery on his left elbow last June. He is on track to return to the big leagues after a series of bullpen pitches last month, including live pitches to set up hitters and minor league appearances. The initial plan is for him to return around the end of the seventh inning, which could be a generous estimate for early August.

Manoa has been a fixture in the starting rotation since making his debut in 2021. In 31 games last year, he went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 196⅔ innings. He even finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting.

The problem is this year. He went downhill. In 13 games and 58 innings pitched, he went 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA. Eventually, the team sent Manoa down to the Rookie League. No one knows when he’ll return.

So, without Ryu and Manoah, Toronto’s starting rotation will have a tough time through July. That’s where the need for starting pitching reinforcements comes in.

Sportsnet has a list of possible candidates to fill the gap in Toronto’s starting rotation. Former Samsung pitcher Ben Lively (31-Cincinnati) was one of them.

Lively is well known to Korean fans as he pitched for Samsung from 2019 to 2021. This year, after signing with Cincinnati, he was called up and took the mound for the first time since 2019. In seven games (five starts), he is 3-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 36 1/3 innings.

According to the source, “Lively could cost more than some of the other candidates considering he has more than a year before his salary adjustment. “Cincinnati doesn’t have to stick with a pitcher in his late 30s in the rotation, which is a good thing for the Reds.”

“He has a slow sinker that averages 91.6 miles per hour, but he has an extension that helps mitigate that issue. He also throws six different pitches, which is a change from the three he had before heading to Korea.”

The good reviews continued. “Lively still has (minor league) options and has been relatively good this season. He’s a pitcher who throws strikes wherever he goes,” and “Toronto could use him as needed in 2023 and send him to Triple-A as insurance.”