The first starter shock injury in the opening game of the 'Fleak' home game 'Early Steel Plate in the 2nd inning' → "I will be examined at the hospital."" [the scene of Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

KBO League Doosan Bears foreign pitcher Chris Flexen (32) suddenly felt an abnormality in his physical condition and was withdrawn early.

Flexen started the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd, and suddenly stepped down in the 2nd inning after complaining of pain in his back during the pitching process in the top of the 2nd inning.

Flexen started the regular season opener against the NC Dinos on the 28th of last month, and after marking two runs (two earned) with three strikeouts and two runs (two earned runs) with two hits (one homer) and five walks in four innings.

And this was his second appearance this season. Before this game, Doosan was in a difficult situation with one win, one draw and three losses, with no wins in the last three consecutive games. As a result, Flexen's good pitching was more urgent than ever.

As soon as Flexen took the mound in the first inning, he faced leadoff hitter Oh Jae-won and handled it with a fly ball to left field for the seventh time after a close game of full count. Flexen then guided Peraza to a ground ball to second base on the second pitch. Spraying the second curve after the first pitch strike against the follow-up Moon Hyun-bin led to a hit ball. However, No. 4 hitter Noh Si-hwan threw a cutter on the second pitch, handling a fly ball to right field, and safely passing the first inning without losing a point. The maximum speed at one time was 148 kilometers.

And the top of the second inning when both teams faced 0-0. Flexen took the mound again. The leadoff hitter is Kang Baekho. But Flexen's arrest was suspicious. It rarely came out right. Kang's maximum speed was 143 kilometers. He threw three balls in a row, then struck the ball on the fourth pitch, and the ball fell to the high side on the fifth pitch, resulting in a walk.

At this time, Flexen complained of some discomfort. Doosan pitching coach Chung Jae-hoon and trainer then came to the mound and talked with Flexen to check the condition. After all, you can't throw the ball anymore. Replacement. Flexen headed to the dugout with a lot of regret. Doosan, which had no pitcher to warm up the dispenser immediately, quickly headed to the bullpen. He then pitched several times before taking the mound. However, in the end, the score of the four runners widened to 0-4.

An official from Doosan said, "We replaced it because we felt uncomfortable on the right side and back. He explained about Flexen's condition tomorrow (4th). Flexen threw 18 pitches on the day. While throwing 11 fastballs, four curves, and three cutters, the maximum speed of the fastball was 148 kilometers, the minimum speed was 142 kilometers, and the average speed was 145 kilometers, respectively. There were 10 strikes and eight balls.

Meanwhile, Flexen is the main character who helped Doosan advance to the Korean Series for six consecutive years during the 2020 season when it built a dynasty. In the 2020 season, he took the mound in 21 KBO league games in Doosan's uniform and recorded 8 wins, 4 losses and 3.01 ERA. Above all, he was strong in a big game. In the first round of the semi-playoff against the LG Twins in 2020, he became the winning pitcher with four hits, one walk, 11 strikeouts and no runs in six innings. Doosan showed its strength to drive this momentum to the Korean Series through the playoffs.

Flexen returned to the U.S. stage based on his stellar performance in the KBO League. He signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract with the Seattle Mariners ahead of the 2021 season. In addition, he pitched in 31 games in the 2021 season, recording 14 wins, 6 losses and an ERA of 3.61. He marked 125 strikeouts in 179 ⅔ innings. In the 2021 season, he ranked first in the Seattle club's most wins, starting ERA, and most innings. After that, Flexen, who played for the Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox, went 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA for the Chicago Cubs last season.

Then he returned to Doosan and continued his relationship with Korea. At the time of the announcement of Flexen's re-entry, the Doosan club gave trust, saying, "We confirmed that the ball is still there." However, he left the mound early due to unexpected back pain. Fortunately, it is not an elbow or shoulder injury that is fatal to the pitcher. Now, a lot of attention is expected to be paid to Flexen's hospital examination results.

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*This content was translated by AI.