Dodgers' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin hoping for 'healthy' season

INCHEON, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Los Angeles Dodgers' left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin said Thursday he wants nothing more than to stay healthy in the new season and throw more innings than he did a year ago. Last year, the 30-year-old pitched his first full season since 2014. His 2015 season was wiped out after a shoulder operation. Ryu then made one start in July 2016 before shutting down with elbow issues. He was 5-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 126 2/3 innings over 25 appearances in 2017, including one game out of the bullpen. "The most important thing is the number of innings pitched, and I'd like to top 150, at least," Ryu told reporters at Incheon International Airport before departing for Los Angeles. "If possible, I'd like to get to 200 innings." Ryu's career high is 192 innings from his rookie season in 2013, when he went 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA in 30 starts with two complete games. In 2014, Ryu also won 14 games but tossed 152 innings. Ryu has had a busy offseason. In addition to training for the new season, he tied the knot with popular cable TV sports announcer Bae Ji-hyun earlier this month. He said he feels "settled down" after getting married, and he's looking forward to pitching with a stronger sense of responsibility. "I feel perfectly healthy, and I am more confident now than I was this time last year," Ryu added. "The key is to stay on the mound for the whole season, from start to finish." In 2017, Ryu had two stints on the disabled list: first with a left hip contusion in May and then a left foot contusion in July. He also dealt with some discomfort in the abductor muscle in his left thigh during spring training. Ryu, who signed a six-year, US$36 million contract with the Dodgers after a stellar career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), is eligible for free agency after this season. But he said his primary goal is to have an injury-free season and he won't think about his status now. Ryu remained on the bubble on the deep Dodgers' rotation all season, and was the odd-man out in the postseason as the Dodgers opted for a four-man rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood. Kenta Maeda, who also bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during the regular season, moved to the pen for the Dodgers' run to the World Series. Ryu, on the other hand, wasn't a bullpen option for the Dodgers. Following his shoulder surgery, Ryu now requires a lengthy pregame routine to get ready, and he wouldn't have been able to do that as a reliever. In an up-and-down year, Ryu enjoyed a much better second half than first half. He was 3-6 with a 4.21 ERA at the break, but went 2-3 with a 3.17 ERA in the latter half. At one point, Ryu boasted the best second-half ERA on the Dodgers. But he cost himself a chance to make the postseason rotation with some shaky outings in September. He was 0-2 with a 4.20 ERA over his final four starts, during which he gave up three home runs in 15 innings. Ryu added a cutter to his repertoire last year, and he said he would have relied on that pitch if he'd played in the postseason. He previously said he will start throwing two-seam fastballs in 2018. "I will throw everything I can throw," Ryu said. "My mindset is that I am going to have start from scratch (in competing for a spot in the rotation). And it will all have to start in spring training." jeeho@yna.co.kr (END)