Hyun-jin Ryu to have athroscopic shoulder surgery Thursday

LOS ANGELES -- The bad Hyun-Jin Ryu news we were waiting for was as expected, as the left-hander has opted for surgery on his left shoulder, the Dodgers announced on Wednesday.

Ryu will have arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in Los Angeles on Thursday. The procedure will be performed by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

There was no timetable given for Ryu's recovery, likely because it depends on what exactly is found inside his shoulder. But it is safe to assume Ryu will be sidelined for a long while, likely the remainder of the season.

Officially the Dodgers haven't said much specifically regarding Ryu's injury, only noting he had a left shoulder impingement or inflammation. But in an interview with Alanna Rizzo on SportsNet LA on Wednesday, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt was more revealing.

"Obviously you'd much rather have Hyun-jin back, but you also want him healthy. Obviously everything they tried was not working. The tear in his shoulder was not going to respond until you take care of it," Honeycutt said. "It's very unfortunate for us, because I think he's one of the best in the league."

(Emphasis mine)

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday said the club planned for the worst-case scenario.

"Mentally I have been thinking that for a little while because it's more helpful to err on that side," Friedman said. "But it's been an ongoing process the last couple months, with peaks and valleys throughout. But our mindset has been treating it as if he's not [going to pitch] because it's easier to react the other way."

Ryu is already on the 60-day disabled list.