'Replacement for Chirinos' to be registered tomorrow (10th); Yeom Kyung-yeop already has faith: "Rios is the No. 1 reliever" [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Chirinos' replacement is joining the team quickly. Yacel Rios (33), with solid trust as the "No. 1 reliever," is expected to be deployed in a game as early as the 10th.

'LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop met with reporters ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the SSG Landers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 9th, stating, "Rios arrives today," and "He will be registered tomorrow."

'LG announced on the 3rd that it reached an agreement with foreign player Yacel Rios for a total contract value of $450,000 (base salary of $350,000 and incentives of $100,000).

'Chirinos, who contributed to LG's championship last year, struggled with a record of 2 wins and 3 losses in 8 games with an ERA of 6.68, prompting the team to seek a replacement pitcher early. On the 31st of last month, he was placed on the temporary inactive list by the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, becoming a free agent, which allowed LG to move quickly.

'Rios, a Puerto Rican national, is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011. He made his MLB debut in 2017 and played for nine teams, including Philadelphia, recording a career total of 93 games, 8 wins, 2 losses, an ERA of 6.21, 100 innings, and 95 strikeouts.

'In the minor leagues, he has a career record of 36 wins and 32 losses in 344 games with an ERA of 4.11, 619⅓ innings, and 556 strikeouts. This season, he went winless with 3 losses in 11 games at Triple-A, posting an ERA of 4.24 over 17 innings with 15 strikeouts before joining LG.

'LG stated, "Rios is a power pitcher who throws fast and pitches aggressively. As a right-handed pitcher with strong stuff, he showed good form in the 2026 WBC. We expect him to become a great asset to the pitching staff upon joining the team."

'He could be deployed in a game immediately. Manager Yeom emphasized, "He is the No. 1 reliever," adding, "We will meet tomorrow and hope to use him as soon as possible. Initially, we plan to bring him in during comfortable situations. We will also check his physical condition. If he prefers, he can just pitch tomorrow and start playing from the day after. If he is ready to appear tomorrow, we plan to bring him in when there is a large score difference, observe his adaptation, and then utilize him accordingly."

'Although closer Son Ju-young is available, the message is that Rios is the pitcher to be used first in critical situations before the closer. Despite not having played a single game in the KBO League yet, this demonstrates the firm trust he has already earned.

'LG lined up Park Hae-min (center fielder), Moon Sung-ju (left fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Dong-won (catcher), Song Chan-ui (right fielder), Gu Bon-hyeok (third baseman), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman) for today's game. The starting pitcher will be Im Chan-kyu.

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*This content was translated by AI.