LOS ANGELES _ After 640 days without a big league start, a layoff caused by career-altering shoulder surgery, Hyun-Jin Ryu is scheduled to take the ball for the Dodgers on Thursday against San Diego.
A torn labrum cost Ryu the entirety of the 2015 season and the first three months of this season. He made eight starts on a minor league rehabilitation assignment that was interrupted by a mid-May recurrence of soreness. His performance in the minors raised questions about his viability as he returns from surgery, with his fastball velocity hovering in the upper 80s.
"I think I'm pretty much ready to go," Ryu said through an interpreter before Monday's game with the Dodgers.
He agreed with the premise that his velocity could increase when he exits the low-key atmosphere of the minors.
"I'm sure that will be a big influence, as far as the adrenaline goes," Ryu said. "But I'll have to find out when I'm actually out there on the mound pitching."
The Dodgers hope Ryu matches the performance of Brandon McCarthy, his brother in rehab this spring, who struck out eight Colorado Rockies in five scoreless innings on Sunday. With McCarthy and Ryu back in the fold, the Dodgers suddenly have a surplus of starters.
Manager Dave Roberts appreciated the duo's arrival. In meetings with team officials over the weekend, Ryu expressed his readiness for Thursday.
"It's starting to come together," Roberts said. "The narrative all winter, and throughout the season, was the depth. It's one of those things that it's played out and really saved us. It's not just rhetoric."
With Ryu and McCarthy back, Roberts indicated the Dodgers will consider using a six-man rotation. But a more likely scenario involves the long-awaited shutdown of top prospect Julio Urias, who was scheduled to start Monday against Baltimore.
"Going forward, we're going to think through some things," Roberts said. "But it's a pleasant problem to have."
