'153km' Pitcher Iimura Joins Lotte, Kim Tae-hyung: "Will Use as Relief Pitcher, Starting Rotation Is Running Well" [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants' newly acquired Asian quota pitcher Iimura Shota (26) has joined the team. Although other teams were interested in him, Iimura chose Lotte without hesitation. He was swayed by Lotte's active recruitment efforts.

On the 18th, Lotte officially announced, "To strengthen the team's pitching mound, we have signed Japanese right-handed pitcher Iimura Shota as an Asian quota player." The contract terms total $70,000 (approximately 170 million won).

Iimura, a right-handed traditional pitcher with a solid build of 184cm and 86kg, is equipped with a powerful fastball averaging 147km/h and reaching up to 153km/h, along with precise control to target low corners of the strike zone. The team noted he can freely utilize a sinker, slider, curveball, and splitter.

Meeting Iimura ahead of a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game against SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 18th, manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "Everyone looks good in reports; the question is how they perform." He explained, "We plan to use him as a middle reliever. The starting rotation is already set with (Lee) Min-seok and others, and it is running well. The middle relief is weak."

Regarding former Asian quota pitcher Miyama Masaya, Lotte has requested a waiver filing with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). While registration is expected to be possible by next week due to visa issuance issues, he first joined the team today to greet the manager, coaching staff, and players.

Since he has not yet experienced the professional stage, premature evaluation is difficult. However, he was not a pitcher of amateur level. Iimura, who played for Japanese KMG Holdings and then Taiwan Life in Taiwan, posted an overwhelming ERA of 0.93 over 29 innings in this year's Taiwan Spring League, ranking first in the category.

Lotte's active recruitment was the decisive factor in Iimura's decision to join. Iimura stated, "I felt Lotte wanted me more, so I chose this team," and signed immediately without heavily negotiating the contract size.

Iimura is expected to play a major role in Lotte's bullpen. Lotte's bullpen ERA stands at 5.53, ranking last. The struggles of key relievers Kim Won-jung and Jeong Cheol-won are painful. Kim Kang-hyun and Hyun Do-hoon are being used in the most critical moments ahead of closer Choi Jun-yong.

Iimura promoted himself by saying, "I am a pitcher who can get strikes with any pitch and can win games with any pitch." He is a desperately needed pitcher for Lotte, which has endured difficult times due to many walks.

Lotte, aiming for a three-game winning streak, set its starting lineup for the day as Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Ko Seung-min (designated hitter), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (third baseman), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Son Ho-young (second baseman), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), and Park Geon-woo (catcher). Alvin Rodriguez will start as the pitcher.

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*This content was translated by AI.