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Dodgers’ Ryu Hyun-jin pleased with spins after long toss

February 25, 2016

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready for long-toss during spring training in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 25, 2016. (Yonhap)

GLENDALE, Arizona (Yonhap) — Recovering from a May shoulder operation that ended his 2015 season before it began, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin said Thursday he was pleased with breaking pitches that he threw in his long toss.

At Camelback Ranch, the site of the Dodgers’ spring training in Arizona, Ryu said he mixed in curves, changeups and sliders with his fastball.

“The spins weren’t too bad,” Ryu said with a smile in the club house while icing down the surgically repaired left shoulder.

Ryu, who didn’t throw a regular season pitch last year after undergoing an operation to repair a torn labrum, is scheduled to have his second bullpen session Friday, with about 25 to 30 pitches.

In his first session Tuesday, Ryu threw 30 fastballs and said he doesn’t think it’s necessary to force himself to throw breaking pitches in Friday’s workout.

Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Times reported that while manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt have discussed when to incorporate offspeed pitches into Ryu’s workouts, they have not decided on a date. They believe Ryu is about two weeks behind other pitchers.

After getting some work done in the bullpen, Ryu will have sessions of live batting practice, and he’s already looking forward to getting out of the pen.

“I’ll try to establish my pitching balance while working in the bullpen,” Ryu added. “Once I start throwing live batting practice or in games, things may be different. For now though, I will take things slowly.”