Dodgers` Ryu Hyun-jin pitches 34 at his first bullpen of the season

LA Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has taken the first step towards the goal of 200 innings for the 2015 season. Ryu threw an official bullpen session on Sunday (Korea Time), the second day of the spring training where Dodgers pitchers and catchers joined. Ryu’s catcher was Yasmani Grandal who will compete against A.J.Ellis this season.

Ryu threw 34 balls in a bullpen session at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, that day. He also played sliders, which worked last season. Though it was unexpected to throw a breaking ball in the first bullpen session, Ryu has a faster pace because he trained himself with Korean pro-baseball team LG Twins already.

Ryu said on the first bullpen session, “It wasn’t bad, though.” On Grandal, he said, “I’ll keep in pace with him gradually.” The 27-year-old catcher from Havana, Cuba, who was traded from the San Diego Padres, is a year younger than Ryu. Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said he would not assign Ellis as the personal catcher only for ace Clayton Kershaw. Thus, it is expected that Ellis and Grandal would be assigned interchangeably depending on the situation.

The Dodgers and local media are also encouraged by Ryu’s early joining of the spring training. When he threw only 152 innings and failed to meet the required innings due to three injuries last season, local media doubted on his role. The Los Angeles Times said, however, before the beginning of the spring training that it expects good results as Ryu has joined early this year.

The Korean pitcher will increase five or six pitches in the second pitching on Tuesday. It is already the third-year spring workout for him in the major league. If he achieves the goal of 200 innings this season, the Dodgers could go beyond the playoff and even to the World Series this season.