When it was announced that the Dodgers had won the posting bid for South Korean left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu back on November 10, 2012, it was a pretty big deal. So big, in fact, that fellow ThinkBlueLA staff writer Harold Uhlman telephoned me at 6 am (PT) on that Saturday morning as my brother and I were setting up our prime tailgating location for that day’s USC – Arizona State football game at the LA Memorial Coliseum. (It was 10 am at Harold’s home in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia). And though Ryu’s six-year / $36 million contract didn’t become official until December 9, 2012, it marked the beginning of a warm and loving relationship between Dodger fans and the extremely popular Incheon, South Korea native.

In his first two seasons with the Dodgers Ryu posted a very impressive 28-15 record with a combined ERA of 3.17 – not exactly Cy Young award material but certainly very good numbers for a number-three starter behind co-aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.

But then the wheels came off – or at least it became known that they were seriously loose.

During spring training 2015 after making only two brief starts, Ryu was shut down for what was being called “left shoulder irritation” and he began the 2015 season on the disabled list. After several weeks of an attempt at recovery and rehabilitation, Ryu announced during a May 22, 2015 press conference that he was going to have season-ending shoulder surgery for a torn labrum – a condition that both he and the Dodgers knew about when they signed him to that six-year / $36 million contract two years earlier.

After spending almost a year to the day on the disabled list, Ryu began what would be eight minor league rehabilitation starts, five with the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and three with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. Even though he was not particularly overwhelming in any of those rehab starts (although he did collect one win), it was decided that the now 29-year-old left-hander was ready to return to the Dodgers rotation. But after making only one start on July 7, Ryu was once again shut down – this time for “left elbow discomfort.” (Do you see where this is going?).

Ryu’s only start in two years on July 7, 2016 did not end well. He allowed six earned runs on eight hits (including a home run) in his 4.2 innings pitched. It also may have been his last game in a Dodger uniform.
(Photo credit – Jill Weisleder)

Sure enough, prior to Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reported to the media that Ryu has been shut down for the remainder of the 2016 season.

Although Roberts made no specific mention as to the extent of Ryu’s elbow issue, it is difficult – impossible, even – to think that this will end well for the beleaguered lefty and that an announcement of a pending Tommy John surgery is probably imminent. If this is indeed the case, the earliest that Ryu would conceivably return to the Dodgers rotation would be spring training 2018, which would be the final year of his six-year contract and with him pushing 31 years of age. And though hope springs eternal and all that, it is quite possible that Hyun-jin Ryu has already made his last major league appearance … at least in a Dodgers uniform.