Blue Jays tab newcomer Hyun-Jin Ryu for opening day start in Tampa
Ex-Dodgers lefty posted National League-best 2.32 ERA last season
Top free-agent acquisition Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his Toronto Blue Jays debut with an opening day start Friday against the host Tampa Bay Rays at 6:40 p.m. ET.
The 33-year-old left-hander signed a four-year, $80-million US contract in December with the Blue Jays.
Also Sunday, Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters that right-hander Chase Anderson will begin the season on the injured list with an ailing oblique [rib cage muscle].
Ryu led the National League with a 2.32 earned-run average and went 14-5 last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"RYU READY?!" the Blue Jays posted on their Twitter page Sunday, announcing the decision.
Since debuting with the Dodgers in 2013, the South Korean hurler has compiled a 54-33 record with a 2.98 ERA in 126 games (126 starts). He earned his first all-star selection and struck out a career-high 163 batters in 2019.
WATCH | Pitching depth on display in Jays' intrasquad game:
Anderson sustained his injury earlier this month while warming up for a bullpen session.
The 32-year-old Anderson joined the Blue Jays in November when he was traded for a prospect by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Anderson posted an 8-4 record with a 4.21 ERA in 27 starts and five relief appearances last season. He sports a 53-40 mark with a 3.94 ERA in 166 career appearances (160 starts) with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-15) and Brewers (2016-19).
