The Blue Jays get good news on Hyun-Jin Ryu and Nate Pearson

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This article was published 29/04/2021 (1657 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amid all the hoopla of George Springer’s Blue Jays debut, a somewhat surprising roster move flew under the radar.

Ace Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the 10-day injured list hours before Springer’s first at-bat in blue and white on Wednesday night, sidelined by a right glute strain suffered in Sunday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.

If you watched Toronto’s 1-0 win over the Rays on Sunday and tuned out the headlines since, the move might not have been such a shock. Ryu left in the fourth inning, cause for concern with the rotation was already short-handed because of injuries.

But the 34-year-old left-hander was quick to play it down, saying he was pulled out of an abundance of caution and that it wasn’t something he had felt before — even though he missed 17 days with a similar injury in 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the end, Ryu’s IL stint might not be too costly. The Jays had two off-days this week, and the player they can least afford to lose might only miss one turn.

“He played catch and then we felt like that was the right move,” manager Charlie Montoyo said Wednesday of the delayed decision to place Ryu on the IL. “He’ll be all right. We’re hoping that he’s just going to miss one start and that’s why it seems like that was the right move, talking to him and communicating with the trainers and everybody.”

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Robbie Ray will be on the mound for the opener of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, with a bullpen day expected Saturday. After that, reinforcements might be on the way:

• Ross Stripling, who went on the IL April 15 because of forearm tightness and has been pitching at the Jays’ alternate site, will line up for a Sunday start provided he’s still feeling good, Montoyo said.

• T.J. Zeuch, out since April 20 with right shoulder tendinitis, could also be available that day, according to the manager.

• Top pitching prospect Nate Pearson, meanwhile, who has been dealing with a groin injury since spring training, was reinstated from the IL and optioned to the alternate site. Pearson built up to 51 pitches last weekend and was slated to throw three or four innings Thursday. He will travel with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, to their temporary home in Trenton, N.J. ahead of the start of the minor-league season next Tuesday. His performance there will determine when he joins the big club.

And Ryu could be back on the mound in time to face the AL West-leading Athletics in Oakland, a four-game series starting Monday.

“(The strain’s) still there a little bit, but not enough that he’s going to miss a long time,” Montoyo said.

From his lips to the baseball gods’ ears, the Jays hope.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy