A year and two months after successfully undergoing elbow surgery and rehabilitation, Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, of the Toronto Blue Jays, suffered an injury scare in his second game back in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Ryu took the mound against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday (Aug. 8) and pitched a scoreless fourth inning with one walk and two strikeouts, using his trademark awl-like delivery to cook the Cleveland lineup. He also surpassed 900 strikeouts in his MLB career.

However, his first win since returning would have to wait. In the bottom of the fourth inning of his no-hitter, he was hit by a pitch from Oscar Gonzalez with the bases loaded and two outs. Gonzalez swung at a changeup outside the zone and hit the inside of Ryu’s right knee.

Ryu threw the ball off his knee to first base to get Gonzalez out, ending the inning. He fell to the ground and was in pain for a while before being helped back to the dugout by Toronto manager John Schneider. Toronto replaced the pitcher with reliever Jay Jackson in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ryu threw a total of 52 pitches.

The local media expressed their disappointment. “Hyun-jin Ryu was painting a blue future for Toronto with a perfect game until he was forced to leave early due to severe pain,” the Toronto Sun reported. “Ryu may be the unhappiest baseball player in baseball right now,” said Yahoo Sports Canada, “and fans were saddened to see him in pain after more than a year of trying his best to get back on the mound.” MLB.com also said, “The timing was cruel for Ryu. The Toronto organization waited with bated breath to see the extent of his injury.”

Luckily, it turned out to be nothing major. “He suffered a contusion to his right knee,” the team announced, adding, “He will undergo further evaluation, including X-rays, but there are no plans for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.” There are no signs of bone or ligament damage. Ryu also spoke to local reporters after the game, saying, “I got hit in the knee by a ball and it’s swollen. But it doesn’t affect my ability to run or play,” he reassured fans.온라인바카

Schneider, who rushed to the mound immediately after Ryu’s injury, gave him a thumbs-up, saying, “Ryu’s determination to complete his defensive play after being hit by a pitch was amazing.” “We often joke about the thickness of his calf, and when I saw that his leg was swollen more (from the injury), I teased him, ‘It’s twice as thick now,'” he said with a smile. It’s a sign that he’s at a point where he can joke about his injury.

It’s unclear if Ryu will be able to make his next start on schedule. However, his absence is not expected to be long. It’s also encouraging to see that he had a “Ryu Jinda-esque performance” right up until the end. His fastball was measured at a top speed of 146 kilometers per hour and an average speed of 143 kilometers per hour, close to where it was last season. Ryu said, “My pitches were much better than the last two days in my comeback game (against the Baltimore Orioles). Especially my changeup.