KT on high alert! 'Top starter' Caleb Booshiri sidelined for six weeks due to shoulder muscle injury; team seeks foreign replacement — fortunately, An Hyeon-min and So Hyoung-jun are preparing to return.

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz, which has built a top-three rivalry with LG Twins and Samsung Lions and is engaged in a fierce battle for first place, has suffered a major setback. Caleb Booshiri (33), the foreign ace who anchored the mound, has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury, putting the KT starting rotation on high alert.

The KT organization had previously removed Booshiri from the first-division roster on the 2nd due to discomfort in his right shoulder. According to club officials, a hospital examination on the 8th diagnosed a tear in the right shoulder muscle (infraspinatus). Medical opinion suggests 4 to 6 weeks of rehabilitation will be required. The team is reportedly searching for a foreign replacement for the six-week period.

Booshiri, who signed with KT for a total contract value of 1 million dollars ahead of this season, was the 'unshakable top starter' who consistently delivered his share amid fluctuations in the team's starting rotation. Before his injury, he pitched 62⅔ innings, recording 7 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 3.16, and 56 strikeouts, firmly supporting the mound from the top of the wins leaderboard. Relying on a fastball reaching up to 152 km/h, along with a cutter and changeup, he demonstrated stable control and earned the deep trust of manager Lee Kang-cheol. His departure is therefore a painful blow.

Currently, KT faces serious challenges in operating its starting rotation as Booshiri has been sidelined alongside the absence of domestic starters: So Hyoung-jun has been out, and Oh Won-seok has also taken a break. On the 6th, Bae Je-seong, who returned from military service and injury, made a successful comeback debut with a scoreless 5-inning performance against Incheon SSG, providing some relief. However, he is still considered insufficient to fully fill Booshiri's void.

Fortunately, injured players are returning one by one. Oh Won-seok returned on the 7th in the SSG Landers match, and So Hyoung-jun is scheduled to start in a practice game against Dankook University at the second-division facility in Iksan on the 11th, throwing approximately 50 pitches. Key outfielder An Hyeon-min will also start as the designated hitter.

With the season midway, it remains to be seen how the second-place KT, currently trailing first-place LG by 1.5 games in a tight ice-slate battle, will withstand this major hurdle.

Meanwhile, facing Samsung's starter Choi Won-tae on this day, KT set its starting lineup as follows: Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Hilliard (center fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Ryu Hyeon-in (first baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). KT's starting pitcher is Ko Young-pyo.

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*This content was translated by AI.