"From the moment I left, my goal was to return." Rosenburg is sincere with Kiwoom; why did he shout "It's actually good" on this rare third chance? [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The moment I left the club, my goal was to return to Kiwoom Heroes."

Although he is not under a full contract but a six-week temporary replacement player, Kenny Rosenburg (31, Kiwoom Heroes) has achieved the desired results. Now, he dreams of converting to a regular player by demonstrating his readiness in just three opportunities.

Rosenburg arrived in Korea through Incheon International Airport early on the 14th and visited Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, where the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against Hanwha Eagles was held, to greet the team.

Last year, he signed a contract worth $800,000 (approximately 1.192 billion won) and wore the Kiwoom uniform, pitching 75⅓ innings in 13 games with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses and an ERA of 3.23, showing stable pitching as a first starter. However, he left the team in June due to a hip injury. Now, after 11 months, he is wearing the Kiwoom uniform again.

Nathan Wiles was sidelined due to injury, and Kiwoom turned to Rosenburg. They signed a six-week contract for $50,000 on the 21st of last month, but it took a considerable amount of time for the visa to be issued, taking over three weeks.

If he can show the same performance as last year, there is no reason to feel regret. Depending on Wiles' condition, he was a pitcher who went 0-4 with an ERA of 4.13 in four games. Rosenburg has the advantage of being a left-handed pitcher, so if he pitches as well as last year, conversion to a regular player is certainly possible.

Manager Seol Jong-jin smiled and said, "He told me he did catch practice and weight training today. It seems his pitching schedule will be announced after the game ends." He added, "He said his physical condition is fine. When I asked if he could pitch on the weekend, he said yes."

Rosenburg greeted reporters with a bright smile, expressing his joy at seeing them after a long time. He showed great enthusiasm by personally visiting the consulate to expedite the visa issuance process as much as possible. This shows how desperately he wanted to return to Kiwoom.

Although there were clubs in the local market that wanted Rosenburg, he chose Kiwoom even for a short-term contract. Rosenburg said, "The moment I left the team last year, my goal was to return to Kiwoom Heroes." He added with a smile, "It seems that returning to the team, along with my physical condition and the team's situation, coincidentally aligned in terms of timing."

Even adjusting to the time difference could take a significant amount of time, but Rosenburg confidently stated he could pitch on the weekend. "It would be a lie if I said it wasn't difficult at all," he said, "but since it took so much time to get here, if the manager tells me to pitch, I can certainly do it."

Opportunities are not that plentiful. The six-week contract between Kiwoom and Rosenburg is valid until the 2nd of next month. Even if he pitches this weekend, he is expected to be given a maximum of three opportunities.

Rosenburg did not mind. "It's good that I don't have to think about too many things as a player," he said. "What I can do is to control as many variables as possible that I can control."

When asked which batter he most wanted to face, he chose LG Twins' Austin Dean. This is because his last game last year was against LG, and he had no good memories of it. Rosenburg said, "Austin was very difficult to face. My last game last year, my last at-bat was against Austin, so it remains vivid in my memory." He added, "There is a saying that a good player improves every game, a better player improves every inning, and an even greater player improves with every pitch. Austin is a player whose improvement with every pitch is visible to the eye." He praised him highly, saying, "He is truly an incredible player whose improvement with every pitch is visible to the eye."

Coincidentally, his second appearance is scheduled against LG. Rosenburg said, "He is truly a good person and a truly good player. I look forward to it."

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*This content was translated by AI.