'ERA 81.00→2.08' Ko Woo-seok records 7 consecutive scoreless games! LG return speculation grows, Triple-A recall also in sight

*This content was translated by AI.

Ko Woo-seok (28, Erie SeaWolves), whose recent return to Korea has been the subject of speculation, has kept his hopes alive for a Major League call-up with seven consecutive scoreless appearances.

Ko Woo-seok made his second appearance of the game as the second pitcher in the 2026 Minor League Baseball regular season home game against Chesapeake Baysox at UPMC Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, on April 30 (Korean time). He pitched 2 innings, allowing 1 hit, no walks, and recording 2 strikeouts in a scoreless outing, leading Erie to a 7-3 victory.

As a result, Ko Woo-seok's season ERA has dropped sharply to 2.08 after recording seven consecutive scoreless games. Considering he started the season with an ERA of 81.00 due to a poor first outing, this represents a complete transformation.

Especially after being demoted to Double-A, he has posted a 0 ERA over 6 games, allowing 4 hits and 3 walks in 11⅔ innings, with 17 strikeouts, a batting average against of 0.103, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.51 — an untouchable level. Notably, he has pitched more than one inning in all six games.

The same held true on this day. Ko Woo-seok took the mound in the top of the 6th inning with Erie leading 5-0. He allowed a single to leadoff batter Brandon Butterworth on a ground ball to left field. However, he retired Iden Anderson on a shortstop fly ball and struck out Anderson de los Santos looking with an outside fastball. He also retired Thomas Sosa on a shortstop grounder with just three pitches to end the inning.

Throwing 17 pitches, Ko Woo-seok returned to the mound in the top of the 7th. He induced a groundout to first base from leadoff batter Aaron Estrada. He got Adam Letzbach to ground out to second base with an inside pitch and struck out Griffin O'Ferrall looking with a razor-sharp strike zone pitch.

This pitching performance drew even more attention amid rumors of Ko Woo-seok's potential return to LG. Recently, LG's closer You Young-chan underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his right elbow, leaving the bullpen vulnerable. With the team suffering three consecutive walk-off losses following You Young-chan's departure, speculation about Ko Woo-seok's return has gained momentum.

However, Ko Woo-seok's performance has not only fueled hopes of a return to Korea but also raised expectations for a Triple-A recall, leaving LG's management in a complex position.

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*This content was translated by AI.