Jays get lucky in that their last remaining off day falls on Ryu's spot in the rotation. So they can play it so he only has 2 starts remaining if they don't push the rotation back a day to account for the off day. He would then have one against Tampa and one against baltimore on the 2nd last day of the season. The one against baltimore is a moot point if the Jays stay hot and can clinch a wildcard spot. Then you run him out their to see if he can fix his stuff before making a playoff roster. The start against Tampa is the interesting one and where I think they should be creative. If they don't want to skip his start entirely. Maybe they play a starter and have Ryu come in for the 2nd time through the order. Or have Ryu start and let Stripling stay warm in the pen for the first sign of trouble.
Through his troubles in the last 3 months, Ryu has had the odd gem. So you could aim for that but really have a short leash. Like 1st or 2nd inning short if you notice he's not locating. It will be interesting to see how the Jays play this. Reminds me of the 2015 team with Buerhle and Dickey. Try to respect the veteran and let them work through their #### but also think about the teams best chances of winning.
|