'Why exactly?' Ko Woo-seok, despite his excellent performance, is reportedly considering a move, as 'DET's massive setback' — the injury to the starting closer — has once again derailed his first-ever MLB call-up.

*This content was translated by AI.

Although the Detroit Tigers' key closer has been sidelined due to injury, Ko Woo-seok (28, Toledo Mud Hens affiliate) has once again been denied promotion to the major leagues. To make matters worse, his scoreless streak in the minor leagues has finally come to an end.

According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball (MLB), and local media outlets, the Detroit Tigers announced on the 29th (Korean time) that "veteran closer Kenley Jansen has been placed on the 15th-day injured list (IL) due to hip inflammation."

With the departure of the team's primary closer, one name immediately comes to mind: Ko Woo-seok, who had excelled as the top closer in the KBO League. However, the name that emerged from the same Triple-A team was not Ko Woo-seok, but his teammate, left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly.

It appears that the difference in their current status has played a role. Smyly is already included on the major league 40-man roster, meaning he can be called up to the majors at any time.

In contrast, Ko Woo-seok, who signed a minor league contract, is not currently on the 40th-man roster. Therefore, for Detroit to add Ko to the major league roster, they would need to designate one of the players currently on the 40th-man roster for assignment (DFA) to create a spot. From the Tigers' perspective, this would inevitably create significant administrative burdens.

If this situation continues, even if Ko remains with Detroit, it seems unlikely that he will soon get the opportunity for his first-ever promotion to the major leagues. As a result, speculation is growing that he may pursue a new challenge.

It is reported that when Ko Woo-seok signed with Detroit, his contract included an opt-out clause allowing him to terminate the agreement after June 1 and become a free agent (FA) to seek a new team. This has drawn further attention to his future plans.

Meanwhile, with his major league promotion once again blocked, Ko Woo-seok posted a disappointing result in Triple-A on this day. Playing as the second reliever in a minor league game against the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A affiliate) at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio, on the same day, Ko pitched two innings, allowing three hits, one walk, striking out four batters, and surrendering three earned runs.

Ko Woo-seok took the mound in the bottom of the 4th inning with his team trailing 1-4. He showed strong performance by striking out four batters across the 4th and 5th innings. In particular, he effectively shut down the opposing lineup in the 5th inning with a triple play.

However, the 6th inning became problematic. He allowed consecutive doubles and a walk, creating a bases-loaded, no-out crisis. Ko then handed the mound to Jack Little while leaving inherited runners on base. Little subsequently allowed all inherited runners to score, increasing Ko's earned run total to three. Ko's final line for the day was two innings, three hits allowed, one walk, four strikeouts, and three earned runs.

Prior to this game, Ko Woo-seok had achieved six consecutive scoreless outings since being promoted from Double-A to Triple-A on the 9th. However, this game ended his scoreless streak. After this game, Ko's minor league statistics for the season stand at 17 games, all in relief, with two wins, one loss, and an ERA of 2.25. Over a total of 28 innings, he allowed 11 hits (including one home run), surrendered eight runs (seven earned), issued 10 walks, hit one batter, and recorded 43 strikeouts. He also posted a WHIP of 0.75 and a batting average against of 0.116, demonstrating strong performance.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.