Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to get 2nd opinion on elbow

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin, out with a left forearm injury, will get a second opinion on his ailing arm this week in California, the club announced.

General manager Ross Atkins told reporters on Tuesday, with the Blue Jays in Kansas City for a road series, that Ryu will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles on Thursday for an assessment.

Ryu was placed on the 15-day injured list (IL) last Thursday with left forearm inflammation. Reports out of Toronto later said Ryu had forearm strain and elbow inflammation that would keep him out for multiple weeks.

Atkins said an MRI showed "chronic changes" to Ryu's elbow but added that he is "optimistic there is nothing terribly significant" with Ryu's injury.

ElAttrache performed shoulder surgery on Ryu in May 2015, a procedure that ruled the pitcher out for the rest of that year. Ryu returned to action in July 2016 but made only one start that season before shutting things down with elbow problems.

Ryu had also spent about a month on the IL earlier this year with left forearm inflammation.

He is 2-0 with a 5.33 ERA in six starts this season. Ryu had pitched well in his three outings in May after his first IL trip, pitching to a 1.72 ERA with two wins. But last Wednesday, Ryu was pulled after only four innings and 58 pitches against the Chicago White Sox with what turned out to be forearm tightness.

Ryu later said he had experienced some forearm trouble beforehand and he regretted pitching in that game.

The 35-year-old is in the third year of his four-year, $80 million contract. (Yonhap)