Veniziano's '9G QS 0' shock! Lee Seung-yong's honest confession: "Foreign investor replacement? We are moving diligently" — an unprecedented admission

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers face their biggest crisis. With domestic ace Kim Kwang-hyun (38) sidelined due to injury, foreign pitchers expected to cover innings are also struggling simultaneously, prompting the front office to take sudden action. Manager Lee Seung-yong (55) also made an unprecedented admission regarding efforts to replace foreign investors.

Ahead of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' match against Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 20th, manager Lee Seung-yong confirmed to reporters when asked about foreign pitcher replacement plans: "We are moving diligently. The front office is currently monitoring players in the United States," nodding in agreement.

This season, SSG has been plagued by poor performances from left-handed starter Anthony Veniziano, a key expected pillar, and Asian quota pitcher Shota Takeda. None of them have recorded a single Quality Start (QS: at least 6 innings with 3 or fewer earned runs). Additionally, Hiroto Kengo, who replaced injured Mitch White, has endured a severe slump with an ERA of 11.57 over two games.

In particular, Veniziano has appeared in nine games including the match on the 20th, securing only one win, with an ERA of 5.83. He has pitched 41⅔ innings, averaging less than five innings per game. In the Kiwoom game on the 20th, he allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) over 5⅓ innings, failing to complete six innings. After a hit-by-pitch to Kim Woong-bin with one out, he was replaced at 97 pitches.

Given the situation, foreign investor replacements during the season are typically conducted under strict secrecy. However, with the mound in serious collapse, manager Lee Seung-yong has publicly acknowledged the push for replacements.

Nevertheless, the market situation is not favorable. The manager stated, "Given the current situation, it may take until late May or June for free agents to become available in the U.S." He added, "There are many injured players currently in the U.S., and the market lacks many quality pitchers. Realistically, we may not see movement until around June."

In fact, SSG's mound situation is worse than expected. As of the 21st, starting pitchers have logged 199⅓ innings, ranking ninth among the 10th teams. Considering Hanwha, which has the fewest innings among starters (43 games, 197⅔ innings), played one fewer game than SSG's 44 games, SSG's starting pitchers average the fewest innings per game.

As a result, when the bullpen collapsed on the 19th and 20th, SSG suffered consecutive extra-inning losses. This suggests an overload on the designated winning pitcher. When asked about criticism, manager Lee Seung-yong replied, "We have too many other concerns to even worry about the winning pitcher," offering a helpless smile.

Furthermore, there are limited starting resources available from the minor league. Manager Lee Seung-yong explained, "The players receiving starting training in the minor league are Baek Seung-geon and Lee Ki-soon. However, based on their performance, we believe they still need more development."

To make matters worse, following the bullpen overload, the position players have also been hit by injuries. Starting catcher Jo Hyung-woo suffered a shoulder joint capsule injury during a game and will be sidelined for at least two weeks, while star hitter Choi Jung was removed from the starting lineup due to thigh bone inflammation. Overall, the team is facing serious losses in both pitching and hitting.

Ultimately, SSG suffered three consecutive losses and faced the crisis of losing all three games in the series. SSG has announced left-handed pitcher Kengo as the starter for the 21st game. Kiwoom will counter with Raul Alcantara. Fans of the Landers are watching closely to see if Kengo can withstand Alcantara, Kiwoom's top starter, and lift the team out of the losing streak, with their attention focused on the Gocheok mound on the 21st.

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*This content was translated by AI.