"The Korea of the Korean national team was sad, sad, sad, and dark."" 日 Hot Attention, 162km Fireballer "I feel better today than yesterday."" I did...

*This content was translated by AI.

Japan, a "neighbor country," is also showing great interest in the news of "Korean pitcher" Riley O'Brien (31, St. Louis Cardinals)' calf injury.

Major Japanese media, including Sponichi Annex and Full Count, said on the 18th (Korea time), "Another sad news flew into the Korean baseball team. O'Brien, who was selected for the national team, suffered a calf injury," he reported.

Sponichi Annex said, "The tall O'Brien, who is 93 centimeters tall, throws a 160-kilometer high-speed sinker as his main weapon. The Korean national team was expected to be one of the candidates for the closing pitcher. However, while pitching live on the 14th, he said he felt light pain in his right calf. After that, I stopped pitching in the bullpen," he explained.

Another Japanese media outlet, Full Count, also said, "A dark cloud hung over the Korean baseball team," adding, "Korea's lamentation has not stopped due to a series of injuries by its main players. Kim Ha-sung (Atlanta Braves) cannot play in the tournament due to injury. "Since 2013, he has been eliminated from the group qualifying round for three consecutive tournaments, and his once powerful appearance is disappearing," he said.

On the same day, MLB.com , the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), reported on O'Brien's condition. According to the media, O'Brien said, "I feel better today than yesterday. "It felt better today than it did today, Hopefully it's nothing too long-term."

Currently, many players in the Korean baseball team are leaving one after another due to injuries. Kim Ha-sung and Song Sung-moon (San Diego Padres) failed to play in the WBC due to injuries early on. 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).

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. However, due to an unexpected injury, it is virtually unclear for now to join the national team.

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. He moved his nest to 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 year. 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.

While announcing the final list of the national team on the 6th, coach Ryu said of O'Brien, "He 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. Between the 7th and 9th innings, I plan to put the team in when it is needed the most," he said, expressing expectations.

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*This content was translated by AI.