"I have no regrets about my actions" — First appearance erases hamstring injury nightmare. Hanwha foreign investor and teammates moved to tears by 'numbered caps' — "It boiled up inside me."

*This content was translated by AI.

It took exactly 46 days. Owen White (27), the Hanwha Eagles foreign pitcher who successfully returned after overcoming the nightmare of his injury, expressed gratitude to his teammates who waited for him.

White met with reporters ahead of the match against Suwon KT on the 17th and shared his thoughts on his return game: "I had a very good game. The batters provided sufficient run support. My job was relatively easy. I kept the ball within the strike zone, and the fielders behind me trusted me, which led to a good result."

White, who joined Hanwha this year, suffered a left hamstring tear while covering a base during his KBO debut game against Daejeon KT Wiz on March 31. When asked by reporters if he regretted his enthusiastic actions at the time, White replied firmly, "I slipped and got injured while covering, but I have no regrets. I made the play I should have made then, and it was the result of doing my best."

For a while, the Hanwha players wore caps with White's number 24 embroidered on them. It was an expression of their wish for his healthy return. White fully felt that sentiment.

White recalled, "The team provided a lot of support. Not long after I went down due to injury, I saw teammates wearing caps with my number and playing. Seeing that, something boiled up inside me."

He added, "I could feel that the team was still thinking of me and waiting for my return. That became a great source of strength for me. I felt a desire to return quickly and contribute to the team. Although the injury was disappointing, I felt fortunate that it happened early in the season rather than in the middle."

During the six weeks he was absent, Jack Cushing (30) served as the replacement foreign pitcher, filling the gap to some extent. Cushing did not distinguish between starting, relief, multi-inning, or consecutive appearances, posting a record of 1 win, 2 losses, and 4 saves in 16 games with an ERA of 4.79 over 20⅔ innings, allowing 6 walks and recording 26 strikeouts.

Regarding this, White said, "We spent time getting to know each other. While I was out due to injury, Jack fulfilled the role the team needed. I am truly grateful for how well he performed. We also had many conversations about the KBO League and baseball, and Jack kept telling me how wonderful the KBO League is. I hope Jack gets another opportunity in the KBO."

With White's successful return, Hanwha was able to operate its normal starting rotation. Hanwha struggled during the month of April when he was absent. However, with the addition of White to a batting lineup that had matured to the point where the saying "hard times precede good times" naturally came to mind, Hanwha gained momentum.

Reflecting on Hanwha last April, White stated firmly, "I never once thought this team was finished. We saw the team's potential during the process of preparing for the season from spring camp and exhibition games. There were mistakes early on, and there were things that naturally occur while playing baseball. But I always believed an opportunity would come, and I am currently playing well."

He continued, "I want to give my physical condition a perfect 100 for yesterday's game (the 16th). The most important thing is to continue rotating in the starting rotation while staying healthy. My current biggest goal is to pitch consistently so the team can win."

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*This content was translated by AI.