Ryu Set For Game 3 Start

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his return in the high-pressure Game 3 of the NLDS:

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers cleared pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu to pitch Game 3 of their NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, a day after Ryu threw a three-inning simulated game at Dodger Stadium.

It will be Ryu's first time on a mound in a major-league game since he left his Sept. 12 start in San Francisco with a sore left shoulder.

Ryu has twice had to miss starts this season with shoulder irritation. This time, he received a cortisone injection to help bring down the inflammation.

"I'd say it feels a little different than the last time," Ryu said through an interpreter. "In fact, I feel much better than the last time this injury happened."

Ace Clayton Kershaw will pitch Friday, followed by Zack Greinke, Ryu and maybe Dan Haren. Haren is aware he might get skipped if the Dodgers elect to bring back Kershaw on three days' rest to pitch Game 4, as they did against the Atlanta Braves while up two games to one last October.

Ryu will face off against John Lackey, who pitches before Shelby Miller in Game 4 (and after Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn in the first two games).

On dodgers.com, Mattingly said he expects a full 100-odd pitch start from Ryu:

Mattingly said he expects Ryu to be able to make his typical 100-110 pitches despite the layoff.

"We don't feel like he's lost a ton of arm strength or anything like that. This is late in the year, and if anything, Hyun-Jin is the right guy for missing this much time," said Mattingly. "And the other guys know that he's not a bullpen guy, he doesn't throw [bullpen sessions] in between. He's been through this once before ... came back and threw really well.

"You see him after he sits out for 15 days, and his [bullpen sessions] are right on. He throws the ball where he wants. So he's not a guy that we're really concerned about coming off this layoff. But we'll still be the same. Even when he's been 100 percent fully healthy, he's been a 100 to 110 [pitches] guy, unless everything goes really smoothly."

In the 2013 playoffs against St. Louis, Ryu limited the Cardinals to three hits over seven scoreless innings in a Game 3 NL Championship Series win. This season, Ryu lost his only start against St. Louis, allowing three runs on nine hits in seven innings on June 27 at Dodger Stadium.

Okay. Back to worrying about today's Game 1.