Dodgers may be without Hyun-Jin Ryu for rest of regular season

Wanted the absolute best news on Hyun-Jin Ryu?

Didn’t get it.

Feared the absolute worst news about his sore left shoulder?

Didn’t get that, either.

The Dodgers said the MRI with dye that Ryu underwent back in Los Angeles showed no new damage to the shoulder but inflammation. He was given a cortisone injection for the shoulder swelling.

But Ryu has officially been shut down for at least four days and could be out for the rest of the regular season. The Dodgers have 13 games remaining.

Ryu also had an MRI on his shoulder in May, and Dr. Neal ElAttrache said Monday’s looked similar to the one from four months ago. Ryu missed over three weeks the last time his shoulder became inflamed.

Rookie Carlos Frias has replaced Ryu in the rotation and is scheduled to start Wednesday in Denver. Ryu will remain in Los Angeles for now to make sure he reacts well to the dye, and then is scheduled to join the team when it goes to Chicago to start a four-game series Thursday. If he shows improvement, he could start a light throwing program in Chicago.

Prior to being chased after one inning Friday in San Francisco when the shoulder flared up again, Ryu had gone 5-1 with a 2.24 earned-run average in his previous eight starts.

If his recovery is similar to that in his first setback with the sore shoulder, he could rejoin the rotation in the first round of the playoffs.