'Returned after a year,' Rosenberg suffers 'another' hip injury; Kiwoom clarifies it is unrelated to last year's injury... '90 billion won hitter' Yang Seok-hwan sent to 2nd division after just 4 games

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes' Kenny Rosenberg (31) returned after a year but suffered an injury in a similar area again and disappeared from the first division roster.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) disclosed the status of deregistrations from the 10th KBO League teams on the 22nd. No players were registered, while Rosenberg, Doosan Bears' Yang Seok-hwan (35), Samsung Lions' Kim Jae-sang (22), and NC Dinos' Park Si-won (25) were removed from the first division roster.

Rosenberg's departure drew the most attention. He joined the team last year as a top starting pitcher candidate and performed the role of an ace with a 4-4 record and an ERA of 3.23 in 13 games before his injury last year, but ultimately had to pack his bags due to a left hip injury.

Due to an injury to Nathan Wiles this season, he temporarily joined as a replacement foreign pitcher last month and signed a six-week extension contract.

However, during a start against Lotte Giants at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome on the 20th, he felt pain in his left hip during warm-up throws in the bottom of the fourth inning and was removed early.

According to the team, a detailed examination on the 22nd revealed a partial tear in the distal portion of the left thigh's rectus femoris muscle. "After being removed from the first division roster on that day, we plan to rest and continuously monitor his physical condition," the team explained.

This is an injury in a similar area to last year's. The team may face public criticism for bringing him back without properly verifying his physical condition.

However, Kiwoom stated, "It has been confirmed that this injury is unrelated to the femoroacetabular impingement syndrome caused by the left femoral head osteophyte diagnosed last year."

This situation means Wiles' card will be handled with caution. Wiles, who suffered an injury after recording a 0-3 record and an ERA of 4.13 in four games with the first division team, appeared in a Futures League match against SSG Landers on the 21st, giving up three runs in 1 1/3 innings and leaving a disappointing impression. Rosenberg also left an unsatisfactory record with no wins and two losses in seven games, posting an ERA of 4.80, so the team's concern is expected to deepen.

Manager Seol Jong-jin explained, "Since he will pitch again on Wednesday (the 24th) after two days of rest, we will decide on Rosenberg's future based on the results."

Doosan's Yang Seok-hwan also received notification to return to the second division. Starting his professional career with LG Twins in 2014 and traded to Doosan in 2021, Yang Seok-hwan enjoyed his career-best season. After the 2023 season, he stayed with the team for six years, with a maximum contract value of 7.8 billion won.

In the first year of his contract, 2024, he played in 142 games, batting .246 with 34 home runs, 107 RBIs, 83 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.804, but struggled last year in 72 games with a .248 batting average, 8 home runs, and an OPS of 0.721.

After a severe slump early in this season, Yang Seok-hwan spent more than a month in the second division. He was called up on the 18th and hit two hits in a game against KT Wiz, but subsequently went 0-for-9 in a three-game series against LG, recording four strikeouts and two double plays, eventually heading back to the second division.

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*This content was translated by AI.