PHOENIX (AP) More bad news for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will be sidelined until after the All-Star break with a severe left groin strain.
The injury occurred when Ryu, off to a strong start to the season, threw a pitch with one out in the second inning of Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Roberts said the groin muscle had torn from the bone.
”It’s a pretty dramatic injury,” the manager told reporters before the Dodgers and Diamondbacks wrapped up a four-game series with an afternoon game.
Ryu was 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA, his best start to a season since 2014.
”It doesn’t feel good,” Ryu said through a translator after Wednesday’s game. ”This seems to be worse than the ones I had in the past.”
He missed a month with a similar injury in 2016.
Walker Buehler, the 23-year-old top prospect who has had two strong starts for the Dodgers this season, is in line to take Ryu’s rotation spot.
”It seems like the logical choice,” Roberts said.
Buehler is expected to be recalled from the minors again to start Friday night’s game against San Diego in Monterrey, Mexico, then be worked into the rotation from there. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts for the Dodgers with 11 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.
Ryu’s injury came two days after the Dodgers announced star shortstop Corey Seager would have season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Los Angeles, the reigning National League champion, is off to a 13-17 start and entered Thursday’s play eight games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West. A series of injuries have contributed, including to third baseman Justin Turner (fractured left wrist), second baseman Logan Forsythe (right shoulder inflammation) and Yasiel Puig (bruised left hip).
Forsythe is expected to go on a rehab assignment this weekend with Turner not far behind.
And the Dodgers expect Rich Hill to come off the 10-day disabled list (infected finger) to start Sunday’s series finale in Monterrey. If that doesn’t happen, more changes would be in the works.
Roberts said there’s no point worrying about what might go wrong next.
”Everyone has to go through this in some fashion,” he said. ”That’s part of the major league season. We talked about depth the last three years and we’ve had to use it. Yeah, it’s happening all kind of close together, sure. But we still have players that can help us win baseball games.”
In addition to placing Ryu on the 10-day DL, the Dodgers also recalled right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia and infielder/outfielder Tim Locastro from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Infielder-outfielder Breyvic Valera was optioned to Oklahoma City.
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