Even after passing the 'real mystery' medical examination, he was kicked out → Eventually, the meaningful "interest 0 surprising" U.S. analysis was correct, questioning Samsung's 1.4 billion new foreigners

*This content was translated by AI.

The Samsung Lions met with a huge unfavorable factor just a month before the opening of the 2026 season. Matt Manning (28), a highly anticipated foreign pitcher with the first-line issuance, was diagnosed with elbow surgery and left the team without playing a single game. Above all, the injury came at a time when the medical test was passed without any problems, so it is more painful for Samsung.

The Samsung club said, "As a result of a detailed examination, Manning was found to need ligament surgery in his right elbow. "We will recruit a substitute foreign pitcher as soon as possible," he said, officially announcing the decision to replace foreign pitchers. Samsung's general manager Lee Jong-yeol rushed to return home to search for a substitute player.

Manning was a stranger who joined the final foreign puzzle on December 1 last year, following another foreign player for Samsung, Ariel Furado and Lewin Diaz. At that time, Samsung officially announced, "I have completed my signing with Manning on the condition of $1 million (about 1.4 billion won) per year."

Manning was a first round (9th pick) pick by Detroit in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. After consistently recognizing his potential, he played at the major league level for Detroit for four seasons from 2021.

What stood out was that he pitched all 50 big league games only as a starter. He played a total of 254 innings, recording 11 wins and 15 losses with a 4.43 ERA. The on-base allowed rate (WHIP) per inning is 1.29. "With an average four-seam fastball speed of 152 km, he has excellent pitching and various pitches such as sweeper, curve, splitter, and slider. He is also a pitcher who has been mentioned as a priority recruitment target for KBO and NPB clubs in recent years," he said.

At the time, Manning said through the Samsung club after completing the medical test, "It's my first time experiencing Asian baseball. I've heard a lot from my American colleagues that it's never an easy league. I want to quickly adapt to Samsung and show good performance to the fans," he said. However, as a result, Manning was forced out of the Korean stage without stepping on the mound at all.

After announcing the contract between Manning and Samsung, the U.S. media Major League Trade Rumors said, "It's surprising that no club in the big leagues showed interest considering the reputation of being one of the top prospects in the U.S.," adding, "The signing of such a contract early in the off-season suggests that he was not interested in playing an additional season in the minor leagues." As a result, the analysis that the Major League teams decided to go to Korea early at a time when they were interested in "0" was significantly accepted for other reasons. A situation that may raise the question of whether he really didn't know about his elbow condition. It's a point of mystery.

At the beginning of joining the spring camp, he played well in the bullpen pitching schedule without feeling any pain. However, the problem eventually broke out in the actual game. A practice game between Samsung and Hanwha Eagles at Akama Ball Park in Onnason, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, on the 24th of last month. Manning, who started at the time, was shaken by three hits, four outs and four runs during ⅔ innings without striking out. The maximum speed of fastball is 148 kilometers. The number of pitches is 37. To make matters worse, he complained of elbow pain after pitching. As a result, he suddenly returned to Korea, and a detailed examination revealed that the elbow ligament was greatly damaged and surgery was inevitable.

If the medical test found an abnormality in Manning's elbow condition, of course, the Samsung team would not have suffered the same problem as now. Unfortunately, however, after passing the medical test safely, the injury occurred in the practice of the spring camp. Of course, he would be sorry, but it is a waste of various expenses and hard work that the club has put into recruiting Manning.

Samsung's native ace Won Tae-in (26) left the lineup after being diagnosed with the first stage of damage to his right elbow flexor muscle. As a result, he was eliminated from the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, and even the opening game is uncertain. Won Tae-in, who is currently being treated at Ijima Rehabilitation Center in Yokohama, Japan, was originally scheduled to join the Okinawa camp. However, he decided to change his schedule and return to Korea to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) re-test on the 6th.

In addition, Ariel Furado (30), another key foreign pitcher, will participate in the WBC tournament as a member of the Panama national team. Currently, only Choi Won-tae (29) of the 1st to 4th starters remain at the Okinawa spring camp site.

Samsung manager Park Jin-man said the previous day (February 28) ahead of a practice game against the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Yomiuri Giants at Cellular Stadium in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, "I'm so sad that the results of Manning came out like that," adding, "Only Choi Won-tae remains in our starting lineup." "I think we need to prepare in a different direction to find the rest of the selection for the rest of the year," he said. Coach Park then added, "I think we need to prepare by expanding the scope of Lee Seung-hyun (left), Yang Chang-seop, Yuk Sun-yeop, and Jang Chan-hee, who were the starting candidates."

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*This content was translated by AI.