Blue Jays’ Ryu Hyun-jin placed on injured list following minor gluteal strain

 Toronto Blue Jays’ ace pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has been placed on the 10-day injured list (IL) for the first time since joining the club after suffering a minor right gluteal strain.

In an away game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (U.S. time), Ryu left the game in the fourth inning. His club said the pitcher left the mound because of a minor “right glute strain.”

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo played down the placement, forecasting Ryu to “hopefully throw his next start, probably next week.”

“Our hope right now is that he’s going to miss a start and hopefully throw his next start, probably next week. That’s our hope,” Montoyo was quoted as saying on MLB.com.

“It’s like what we thought it was with a mild strain, but because of the days off, he’s only going to miss one start and that’s how we see it right now. We talked to him, and he said he was fine with that. He could pitch next week in Oakland,” the manager said, adding the MRI results were OK.

The left-hander said he felt something uncomfortable at the time but was no longer feeling any discomfort a few hours later.

“I don’t think it’s an injury,” he said in the after-game interview. “It’s nothing serious, and it’s not something I’ve felt before.”

Ryu, who signed with the Blue Jays in late 2019, wrapped up last year without landing on the IL.

During his seven years at the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was put on the IL roughly 10 times due to shoulder and elbow problems.

His most recent stint on the IL was in August 2019, when he was sidelined with a sore neck.