The Los Angeles Dodgers have selected left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu as their Opening Day starter, the team announced Friday.
With ace Clayton Kershaw scheduled to open the season on the shelf and Walker Buehler unavailable due to workload management, it looked like veteran southpaw Rich Hill would get the first start. However, Hill has been diagnosed with a left MCL strain and will begin the season on the injured list, according to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
Ryu, 31, has also battled injuries over the years but has been effective when healthy. He posted a 1.97 ERA with 9.73 K/9 in 82 1/3 innings across 15 starts in 2018.
With several rotation pieces sidelined, manager Dave Roberts said he'll turn to right-hander Ross Stripling for the season's second game, while Julio Urias could wind up as one of the arms to follow, according to Castillo.
Kenta Maeda and Dennis Santana are also available to take the mound.
