“I will make it short and thick” Ryu Hyun-jin’s determination… Lim Chang-yong also threw 6 more years, KBO return is still far away

Last year, the KBO league’s last place,메이저놀이터’ the Hanwha Eagles, posted a win rate of 3.204. 46 wins, 2 draws and 96 losses in 144 matches. It was the overwhelming lowest, 14 games behind the 9th place Doosan Bears. A humiliating result, but not the worst. In 1982, the first year of professional baseball, the Sammi Superstars recorded 15 wins and 65 losses in 80 games, with a record of 18.8%. This is the only team win rate in the 10% range in KBO league history.

As of the 24th, KT Wiz, who is in 10th place, has an odds of 3.33, and Hanwha, who is in 9th place, has a win rate of 3.5 and 9.

The team with the lowest win rate in Japanese professional baseball this season is the Chunichi Dragons. By the 24th, it marked 14 wins and 28 losses, 30% and 3%.

Elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) is selected as a relatively conquered field compared to shoulder surgery. When analyzing the cases, the probability of recovery after surgery is high.

Of course, this is a story under the assumption that rehabilitation will be done hard and successfully, but it is less burdensome than the shoulder, which has a greatly reduced chance of recovery.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who I met during the team’s spring training last February, smiled and said, “You have to trust Tommy John.” Ryu Hyun-jin had the experience of receiving Tommy John in high school, and at that time, he rehabilitated well and built a successful career as a professional player. Still, it was read as meaning that he had less anxiety than the shoulder surgery he had in 2015. Having hope for a comeback adds to the player’s motivation. Much better than the shoulder surgery he battled fearing his career might end like this.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent the second Tommy John surgery in his personal career in June last year, is now in the final stage of rehabilitation. He is stepping carefully and progressing through bullpen pitching. Starting next month, he is at a pace that allows him to start minor league rehabilitation.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who had been rehabilitating in Dunedin, Florida, where the team’s training facility is located, recently threw a ball in front of the coaching staff with his teammates on a nearby Tampa Bay expedition. Toronto coach John Schneider expressed his anticipation by saying, “It looks good.” Ryu Hyun-jin also emphasized that he is planning to return in July around the All-Star break, and that he is following the same process. So far, everything is going well.

This is an elbow surgery I received in my mid-30s. Plus, it was the second elbow surgery in his career. The story is completely different from the Tommy John surgery that players in their early and mid-twenties undergo for the first time. It’s a burden, and you need to handle it more carefully. Still, it’s time to say goodbye to the dreaded elbow pain that has plagued you for the past 3-4 years. You can pull out your own power more powerfully. If that’s the case, you can even foresee active service in the distant future.

▲ Lim Chang-yong also underwent Tommy John surgery at the age of 36 and continued active duty for a long time ⓒReporter Kwak Hye-mi

▲ If the condition of the elbow is good, there is a high probability that there will be no major obstacle to Ryu Hyun-jin’s active service extension.

When he said that he could throw a lot more now that he had solved the problem with his elbow ligaments, Ryu Hyun-jin jokingly replied, “I will make it shorter and thicker.” However, if you look at the cases, there are not a few cases where players who underwent elbow surgery in their 30s continued their active career for quite a while. There is also a good example of Lim Chang-yong (47), a senior in the national team.

Lim Chang-yong is also one of those who received Tommy John at a late age. Lim Chang-yong underwent elbow surgery in 2012 when he was 36 years old when he was active in Nippon Professional Baseball. It is known that he was relatively less damaged than other players, but his surgery was still a surgery. Lim Chang-yong also underwent rehabilitation for nearly a year. However, both his surgery and rehabilitation were successful, and in 2013 he reached the major leagues by signing with the Chicago Cubs.

Lim Chang-yong returned to the KBO League in 2014 and played for Samsung and KIA until 2018. Of course, it could not be seen as his peak performance, but he kept the team back door with decent results, such as collecting 31 saves in 2014 and 33 saves in 2015. He also played as a starter in 2018, pitching 86⅓ innings. It was a matter of his poor performance, not the condition of his elbow. He played six more years as an active player after elbow surgery, and maybe even more pitching.

Ryu Hyun-jin is now 36 years old. He is at an age where he should slowly prepare for the end, but with vivid elbows and unique control, he is likely to continue active duty for a considerably longer period of time. Rather, an elbow that is not sore may help to strengthen the ball position. As he said he would play his last active role at his home team, Hanwha, it is possible to draw a scenario where he returns to Korea after achieving his last goal in the major leagues. The operated elbow will last long enough. It is still far from thinking of his retirement.