As the “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays)먹튀검증 begins his comeback, there is a lot of interest in his return in the United States.

MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, highlighted the latest news on Ryu, who is expected to make his comeback after the All-Star break on June 26 (KST).

Ryu rejoined the team in time for Toronto’s series against the Tampa Bay Rays and threw a bullpen session in front of his teammates and coaching staff on Wednesday.

Ryu is on track to return in mid-July, as originally planned. “From the beginning, I thought it would be ideal to join the team in the second half after the All-Star break, and that’s my goal now. I plan to schedule accordingly,” he said of his situation. The Major League Baseball All-Star break this season is July 11-14, so if all goes well, Ryu could be back in the starting rotation by the start of the second half.

So, what has been the driving force behind Ryu’s smooth rehabilitation process: weight loss.

MLB.com noted that “Ryu has lost a significant amount of weight during his recovery from elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) and has never been in better physical shape,” and that “most pitchers are reluctant to give an exact return date after an injury, preferring to check off next steps or follow the team’s plan”.

MLB.com Toronto reporter Keegan Mathieson also noted on social media that “Ryu has been doing his usual combination of cardio and weight training, and has been able to keep the weight off by cutting down on late-night eating.”

Ryu, who recently began working on his curveball and changeup, emphasized the importance of taking care of his body, saying, “I need to be able to throw a cut fastball while increasing my pitch count.” “Again, the most important thing is to get my starting pitcher’s body back,” he said.

Ryu, who signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto after the 2019 season, went 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 games and 67 innings in 2020, a season that was shortened due to COVID-19. The following year, he went 14-10 with a 4.37 ERA in 31 games and 169 innings, tying for the team lead in wins.

However, Ryu suffered an elbow injury in the middle of last season that required surgery and ended his season prematurely. His record last year was 2-2 with a 5.67 ERA in six games and 27 innings pitched.

Currently, Toronto sits in last place in the American League East (with 27 games remaining) behind Tampa Bay, the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox while maintaining a winning percentage of over .500. As Toronto looks to rebound, they will be hoping that the return of their ‘ace’ Ryu Hyun-jin will give the team a major boost.