Pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu of the Toronto Blue Jays, a professional baseball player in the U.S., is finally on the operating table.
Even after giving up on his back this season, he decided to surgically remove the cause of the pain.
Major League Baseball's official website, MLB.com, said, "Hyun-Jin Ryu is undergoing surgery for an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury in his left elbow. Although the extent of the injury is not known for sure, Hyun-Jin Ryu is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery to remove or completely rebuild the ligament." said.
"He can't throw for the rest of the season, and he could miss early next year," he added.
As a result, Hyun-Jin Ryu ended the season early, and in the case of Tommy John surgery, the early part of next season is inevitable.
This is the fourth time Ryu Hyun-jin has undergone surgery.
In April 2004, when I was a sophomore at Dongsan High School, I underwent ligament splicing on my left elbow and was rehabilitated for a year.
In May 2015, after advancing to the major leagues, he underwent surgery to suture the labia majora on his left shoulder.
The operation performed in 2016 was a relatively light operation with a shorter rehabilitation period compared to ligament grafting.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent shoulder and elbow surgery in succession, stood on the mound in the big leagues at the same time as the start of 2017, and has since succeeded in recovering.
And in 2022, when he is in his mid-30s, he will have surgery again after 6 years.
Hyunjin Ryu felt discomfort in his left forearm after the match against Oakland on April 17, and was eventually placed on the first injured list this season.
He made his comeback against Tampa Bay on the 15th of last month, and has been in the starting rotation for a total of four straight games through the last two days.
However, on the 27th of last month, against the Los Angeles Angels, he felt a slight pain in his left elbow while pitching, so he threw only the 5th inning and came down the mound.
After the game, Ryu Hyun-jin said, "I regret starting today."
However, he felt pain in the same area (left forearm) and found inflammation in his elbow, which raised concerns, but the condition was worse than at the beginning of the season.
Hyunjin Ryu visited Dr. Neil Elatrace, an orthopedic surgeon at Kellan Job, who performed shoulder surgery in 2015 and elbow surgery in 2016, and discussed various treatment methods before deciding to have surgery.
Hyun-jin Ryu, who entered the big leagues in 2013, appeared in 175 games and recorded 75 wins, 45 losses, 1 save, and a 3.27 ERA.
He finished with only two wins and a 5.67 ERA this year due to elbow pain following a left forearm.
Hyunjin Ryu signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto ahead of the 2020 season, his contract ending next year.
This elbow surgery could decide whether Ryu will continue his big league life.
(Photo = Getty Images Korea)