It's a surprise again!' Another negative factor broke out in the Korea of the Korean national team. "WBC super emergency" → "I was burnt at first..." My mother is a Korean "162km Fireballer." Oh no

*This content was translated by AI.

With the World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship just around the corner, another bad news hit the Korean baseball team. News that Riley O'Brien (31, St. Louis Cardinals), a "Korean pitcher" who was on the final list of the national team, suffered a calf injury was blown from the field.

Daniel Guerrero, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a local newspaper in St. Louis, said on the 18th (Korea time), "O'Brien is currently feeling pain in his calf (Riley O'Brien is dealing with some 'soreness' in his calf."

"St. Louis coach Oliver Marmol will explain more clearly about his calf injury (Marmol expectations to have some more clarity on the extent of O'Brien's calf issue)," he added.

Another media outlet, the St. Louis reporter for Belleville News-Democrat, also said on social media on the same day, "O'Brien is suffering from calf pain. "The club is trying to figure out the status," he said. "His WBC status is TBD has not yet been decided whether he will participate in the WBC."

When combining the SNS messages of local reporters like this, the St. Louis club's official announcement on the exact condition of O'Brien's injury is expected soon.

O'Brien is a Korean-American born to an American father and a Korean mother. He also has a Korean name (middle name) called "Junyoung."

The WBC tournament is not a nationality like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, but if your parents or grandparents are born in Korea, you can participate as a Korean national team player. O'Brien decided to play in the Korean WBC national team for the first time through this competition.

Ryu Ji-hyun, the head coach of the national team, also met with Korean players in the United States steadily after taking the helm of the national team last year. In the end, O'Brien also opened up and decided to play as a member of the Korean national team.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun met with reporters last month before heading to Saipan, the first camp site of the WBC, and said, "As it is known outside, (Lily) O'Brien and (Jermai) Jones have been very active when they communicated since last year, and they still do. If there are no major problems, I expect to join," he said. In the end, it was also included in the final list of WBC announced on the 6th and received expectations from Korean fans.

O'Brien began his professional career with an eighth round (229th overall) pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 rookie draft. He then took the mound for the first time for the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. After that, he went through the Seattle Mariners and gained experience.

O'Brien moved to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. Above all, it has established itself as a key bullpen resource for the team with a strong sinker with an average of 98 miles (about 158 kilometers) and a maximum speed of 101 miles (162.5 kilometers).

In particular, he made his name by achieving a career high record last season. He pitched in a total of 42 games in the 2025 season and allowed only four home runs in 48 innings. He became one of the league's top bullpen pitchers with 3-1-1, 6 saves and 6 holds, 2.06 ERA and 1.15 WHIP per inning. As a result, he gained expectations as the closing pitcher of the national team.

Coach Ryu said of O'Brien, "When I met him in March last year, I was cautious because I wasn't in a situation where I was fully established yet. At first, I burned myself a little, but when I went and met him after that, I think the work was very effective," he said, praising his changed attitude.

In addition, while announcing the final list of the national team on the 6th, he said, "O'Brien is a strong pitcher in the big leagues," adding, "I haven't asked about his position yet. For now, I have it in mind as the closing pitcher. We plan to put the team in between the 7th and 9th innings when they need it the most," he said. However, due to an unexpected injury, it is unclear whether he will join the WBC national team.

Currently, Ryu Ji-hyun is leaving the national team one after another due to many players' injuries. Kim Ha-sung (Atlanta Braves) and Song Sung-moon (San Diego Padres), who are on the big league stage, were injured early, which prevented them from playing in the WBC. In addition, "Veteran catcher" Choi Jae-hoon (Hanwha) left due to injury following "first starter ace" Moon Dong-joo, who had been to Saipan's first camp, and recently, even Won Tae-in was diagnosed with a first-stage elbow flexor injury, and he was confirmed to be eliminated from the national team.

If O'Brien fails to join the national team, South Korea is expected to play on the WBC stage with only three Korean players, including Shay Witcombe (Houston Astros), Dane Dunning (Atlanta), and Jamai Jones (Detroit Tigers).

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*This content was translated by AI.