'Medical Disqualification → Return to SSG' Hatch: "No Malicious Intent Toward Doosan, Aiming for Efficient Pitching" with Confidence

*This content was translated by AI.

Thomas Hatch (32), whose contract with Doosan Bears was terminated due to medical reasons despite being finalized, will make his KBO League debut wearing the SSG Landers uniform as an injury replacement player.

SSG Landers signed foreign pitcher Hatch for a total of $590,000 (approximately 900 million won) on the 6th.

After arriving in Korea on the afternoon of the 7th, Hatch immediately visited Incheon SSG Landers Field for the KT Wiz game and held a meeting with the team afterward. He accompanied the team on the 8th for the away trip to Jamsil and participated in a light catch session ahead of the LG Twins game on that day. On the 10th, he is scheduled to begin bullpen pitching.

After joining the Chicago Cubs through the 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, he made his Big League debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020. He pitched 103 innings in 51 career games, recording 6 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 5.24. In the minor leagues, he pitched 385⅔ innings across 103 games (68 starts) at Triple-A.

In 2024, he experienced Asian baseball with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and received a guaranteed salary of $1 million, the highest for a first-year foreign player with Doosan Bears, but the contract was terminated after issues arose during the medical test.

Ultimately, there were no issues with his physical condition, and he pitched 125⅔ innings in 30 games across the major and minor leagues during the 2025 season. He also continued to make regular appearances this season, including 51⅔ innings in 11 games. After comprehensive review, SSG selected Hatch as a replacement card as the injury of first starter White has prolonged.

Hatch possesses physical attributes of 185 cm in height and 88 kg in weight. He has the ability to consistently maintain a fastball around 150 km/h throughout the game based on stable mechanics and a consistent release point this season. He is also evaluated as a starting resource with a variety of well-completed breaking balls, seasoned game management skills, and expertise against batters.

Ahead of the LG game, manager Lee Sung-yong met with reporters and said, "We have high expectations. We believe his pitch value and execution are nearly perfect." He added, "The most important thing is adaptation. How quickly he adapts to the KBO League seems most crucial. If he adapts quickly, he will be able to decide games sooner, resulting in fewer pitches and longer innings. We have high expectations in that regard."

Resolving visa issues is the top priority. However, Manager Lee indicated that he does not plan to start rookie Kim Min-jun, who made his debut on the 9th, on the 14th. It appears the most realistic scenario is for Hatch, who will make his first bullpen appearance on the 10th, to adjust to the time difference and complete visa issuance before making his KBO debut against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 14th.

Hatch said, "I am looking forward to this opportunity. In fact, I have visited Korea several times before due to various circumstances, and I was throwing the ball well and in a good situation, so I am looking forward to playing in the KBO." He continued, "I watched games through YouTube highlights even before coming to Korea. Many of my teammates have KBO experience, so I asked them many questions. I am also looking forward to learning things firsthand."

The most eye-catching aspect is the contract termination with Doosan. This could be a blow to Hatch's pride or a source of motivation. However, Hatch stated, "In fact, the contract and process with Doosan proceeded smoothly, but baseball is also a business, so I have no malicious thoughts about such decisions. That is why I followed through." He added, "Most importantly, Landers gave me this opportunity, allowing me to experience playing in the KBO again, and that is what I am looking forward to."

Hatch, who had a conversation with his teammate Anthony Veniziano, who earned the win with a scoreless 7-inning performance on the 7th, explained, "(Veniziano) was in a tired state after pitching 7 scoreless innings, so we couldn't talk much. However, I was able to hear briefly how good SSG is, and I definitely felt it would help me a lot."

He confidently stated that his NPB experience would definitely help with adapting to the KBO League. Hatch said, "I think it will be very helpful. There will be many challenges coming to a country on the other side of the globe, either Japan or Korea, but there are interpreters available to help, and Veniziano has already had experience, so he can assist as well. There will also be parts I need to handle on my own. Since Japan has a different culture from Korea, I think I need to adapt well."

Regarding his pitching style, he expressed confidence, saying, "I like throwing strikes and especially aim for efficient pitching. I have a pitching style that seeks to minimize the number of hits batters make."

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*This content was translated by AI.