Toronto Blue Jays coach John Schneider expressed his thoughts on Ryu Hyun-jin’s postseason selection.
In an interview ahead of the home game against the New York Yankees held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 29th (Korean time), Schneider spoke about the Tampa Bay Rays and the starting operation for the final series of the season.
He said that the selection for the three-game series was ‘To be determined (a decision will be made later)’ and said, “It was a decision made after considering various factors.”
According to the original order, Ryu Hyun-jin should appear in the first game of the series, followed by Yusei Kikuchi and Kevin Gausman. However, Schneider said, “(The starter for the first game) does not necessarily have to be Ryu Hyun-jin.”
There is nothing wrong with the condition of Ryu Hyun-jin or Kikuchi. He said, “All the players are in good physical condition. “(This change) is a strategic choice,” he said.
Does that ‘strategy’ include plans to use Ryu Hyun-jin or Kikuchi in different roles in the postseason? They may be able to hold auditions to see if they can play different roles in the remaining postseason of the series.
Schneider dismissed the idea, saying, “I don’t think so.” “We know what they can do. “They are part of our team, and I don’t think there’s any need for any auditions or competitions,” he said.
He said, “We have a plan on how to run our pitching staff (in the postseason), but the first priority is to play the remaining four games. “We have to endure the remaining games as we have always done,” the two players said, adding that they will focus on completing the starting rotation as usual for the remainder of the season.
In the case of Gausman, if advancement to the postseason is confirmed before the final game of the season, he will postpone his appearance until the postseason. Toronto’s current magic number to advance to the postseason is 3.레모나토토
Schneider said, “Gausman is preparing to take the mound on Sunday,” but added that if the team is confirmed to advance to the postseason before then, “someone could be called up.”
No hint was given as to who that ‘someone’ was. Regarding Ricky Tiderman, the number one player in the prospect rankings, he said there was no possibility of him pitching, saying, “Ricky is in Arizona right now.”
Toronto, which lost both of its previous two games against the New York Yankees, can confirm its advancement on its own if it wins three of the remaining four games. If the Seattle Mariners, ranked 4th in the wild card, lose the game, the magic number will decrease accordingly. Since they are behind Seattle in the tiebreaker, they need to have more wins than them.
The situation is one game after another. Still, Schneider said, “I’m really excited, more than anything else. “Because this is why we play this game,” he said, adding that he is trying to enjoy the moment.