'Situation suddenly changed': KIA's national team ace sent to the minors — will the military issue be resolved first? → The manager's attitude has changed.

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Ui-ri (24, KIA Tigers), who once served as a national team left-handed ace, has finally received notification to be sent to the minors. With the team's pitching situation rapidly changing, including the acquisition of new Asian quota starters, the manager has also refused to set a definite date for his return to the first division. This is clearly a shift in attitude from the past. Some even suggest that if the team performs even better without Lee Ui-ri, it might be better to resolve his military issue first during this opportunity.

KIA lost 1-3 to the LG Twins in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 30th. Falling into a two-game losing streak, KIA now sits in fourth place in the league with a record of 28 wins, 1 tie, and 24 losses.

Ahead of today's game, KIA made changes to its first-division roster. Instead of removing pitchers Lee Ui-ri and Hong Min-gyu, the team registered Kim Geon-guk and Kim Hyun-soo (No. 17) to the first-division roster.

Lee Ui-ri underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June 2024. This season, he appeared in 10 games, posting a record of 1 win, 6 losses, and an ERA of 9.42. Over a total of 35⅓ innings, he allowed 41 hits (8 home runs), issued 33 walks, recorded 39 strikeouts, and gave up 37 runs (37 earned runs), finishing with a WHIP of 2.09 and a batting average against of 0.295 before heading to the minors.

Lee Ui-ri had previously been removed from the first-division roster from the 17th to the 26th for a ten-day rest period to recover. Despite this, his poor performance in the recent game against LG on the 29th — two innings, four hits allowed (one home run), four walks, one strikeout, and six runs (six earned runs) — was particularly painful.

In fact, even when Lee Ui-ri continued to struggle, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho remained patient and kept waiting. Whenever news of his demotion to the minors surfaced, he expressed trust, saying, "It is good for our team to keep a good pitcher alive no matter what. In fact, sending him down to the minors is the easiest method. It is our job to make him able to pitch well. We hope he pitches well."

However, even the manager eventually found himself in an environment where he could no longer keep Lee Ui-ri on the roster. On the 28th, KIA signed Japanese Asian quota starter Keisho Shirakawa under a total contract value of $100,000 (a signing bonus of $20,000, an annual salary of $40,000, and an option of $40,000). With this move, KIA now has six starting resources: James Nail, Adam Oller, Yang Hyeon-jong, Hwang Dong-ha, Kim Tae-hyung, and now Shirakawa.

Manager Lee stated in an interview with reporters ahead of the 30th Jamsil LG game regarding Lee Ui-ri: "He did not look good, so he was excluded from the first-division roster. Shirakawa will take his place. Lee Ui-ri will prepare in the minors."

He continued, "In the current situation, we need to see how Tae-hyung and Shirakawa pitch, but Tae-hyung is also in good condition. So, for now, we plan to use Tae-hyung and Shirakawa in Lee Ui-ri's spot. Shirakawa reportedly threw 100 pitches five times in the Japanese independent league. So, he should be able to throw around 80 pitches without any issues. We were considering using him briefly in the bullpen before moving him to the rotation, but he will go straight to the rotation. For now, we are considering him as the starter for the Lotte Giants game on the 4th of next month."

So, when will Lee Ui-ri return to the first division? When asked, the manager bluntly replied, "I don't know," and then added, "We also need to see how our starters are rotating. We need to win games. With that in mind, we are thinking of using the best starting resources available."

He said he has not had any conversation with Lee Ui-ri. The manager explained, "If we talk to him, it will only make his head more painful and complicated. He is still a young player. Doing whatever it takes to move in a good direction is the best choice for us as well. However, forcing him to pitch more right now would be a significant negative for the team, so for the time being, we plan to step back a bit and watch calmly."

Lee Ui-ri, who graduated from Gwangju Suchang Elementary, Chungjang Middle, and Gwangju Jeil High, was drafted first by KIA in 2021. His signing bonus was 300 million won. In his rookie season of 2021, Lee Ui-ri appeared in 19 games, posting a record of 4 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.61. Over 94⅔ innings, he allowed 69 hits (6 home runs), issued 56 walks, recorded 93 strikeouts, and gave up 42 runs (38 earned runs). He also won the Rookie of the Year award that year.

Thereafter, Lee Ui-ri established himself as a next-generation left-handed ace poised to lead Korean baseball, recording over 130 innings pitched and a sub-3.00 ERA with double-digit wins for two consecutive seasons. In the 2022 season, he went 10-10 with a 3.86 ERA (154 innings, 66 earned runs) in 29 games. In the 2023 season, he posted a record of 11-7 with a 3.96 ERA (131⅔ innings, 58 earned runs).

In particular, he dedicated himself to the country while wearing the national team emblem. Starting with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), accumulating extensive international experience.

But perhaps he pitched too much without rest. Lee Ui-ri has not stepped onto the mound since the May 29, 2024, game against the NC Dinos. Due to severe elbow pain, he decided to undergo surgery. Ultimately, on June 2 of that year, he underwent reconstruction surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament of his left elbow and removal of bone fragments. His 2024 season statistics showed 4 appearances, 1 win, 0 losses, and an ERA of 5.40. After focusing on recovery, Lee Ui-ri returned in July 2025, appearing in 10 games with a record of 1 win, 4 losses, and an ERA of 7.94. And this season, Lee Ui-ri still struggles to find his former form.

To be frank, if the current KIA starting pitchers continue to perform well, there may be no place for Lee Ui-ri. This is why some are suggesting it would be better to resolve his military issue first during this opportunity. Therefore, he must first achieve good results in the minors and then wait for the right time. The manager also left the possibility open, stating, "If he prepares well while in the Futures League, there might be another opportunity next time." Will Lee Ui-ri show a changed performance?

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*This content was translated by AI.