'Super Hit' KIA Player Who Suddenly Left Due to Personal Reasons Is Not Missed at All. Why? Manager Praises: "This Level Is the Best"

*This content was translated by AI.

A foreign hitter who has returned from injury is truly dominating and has been reborn as a blessing. The manager is saying he is "satisfied" and keeps breaking into wide smiles. The protagonist who was on the verge of leaving the team at a crossroads of choice is none other than Harold Castro (33), the foreign hitter for KIA Tigers.

Castro has recorded detailed statistics in 30 games this season: a batting average of 0.305 (118 at-bats, 36 hits), 5 home runs, 11 doubles, 28 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 5 walks, 26 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.525, an on-base percentage of 0.328, an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.853, and a batting average with runners in scoring position of 0.313.

Especially in the 7th games played since his return from injury, he has been bombing the league with a batting average of 0.467 (30 at-bats, 14 hits), 3 home runs, 2 doubles, 12 RBIs, 7 runs scored, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.

Lee Beom-ho, the manager of the team, is just smiling at Castro's performance. Ahead of the game against Kiwoom Heroes on the 25th, Manager Lee was asked about his satisfaction with Castro's recent performance and said, "I am satisfied." He added, "His expression seems to have become very bright. In fact, when he first arrived, he seemed very nervous, and his expression was gloomy when his condition was not good. But perhaps because he is doing well now, and because he has adapted to the league and his family has also come to Korea, he seems psychologically very stable. So, if he continues to perform like this, there is nothing more to ask for," he praised without holding back.

He continued, "As we face each team one by one, he has gained a lot of experience against opposing pitchers," and added, "I also heard through the interpreter that during his rehabilitation period, he was watching games and analyzing them. He is a hitter with contact ability better than any other player. So, I had judged that he could hit well enough." He expressed his trust.

Manager Lee also said, "Isn't this level the best?" and praised him further, stating, "He hits good hits and has many doubles. He also hits home runs. He is scoring runs somehow and is hitting them out in important situations. An OPS of around 0.9 makes for a very good hitter, but his current performance is exceeding a level that would reach 1.000. He is hitting at a level that is too satisfying right now."

Castro returned in the game against LG Twins on the 18th. Since then, he has recorded a hit in every game he has played (7 games). In the three-game series against Kiwoom during the week, he played games with '1 home run, 2 hits' followed by '3 hits' and then '1 home run, 1 hit' in succession.

In fact, Castro played in 23 games until April, finishing with a batting average of 0.250, 2 home runs, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.700. He managed only 4 walks while striking out 22 times. His batting average with runners in scoring position was 0.231.

Additionally, during a defensive play in the game against Gwangju Lotte Giants on April 25, he was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and had to leave the lineup. At the time, a diagnosis was made that he would need a 6-week rehabilitation period.

In response, KIA signed Adellin Rodriguez as a foreign hitter to replace Castro's injury. Coincidentally, Adellin performed well. He played in 32 games, recording a batting average of 0.264 (121 at-bats, 32 hits), 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 7 walks, 25 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.554, an on-base percentage of 0.308, and an OPS of 0.862. His batting average with runners in scoring position was 0.355.

Due to Adellin's good performance, KIA pushed to extend his contract. However, Adellin declined due to personal reasons, and Castro got another chance. Castro is now perfectly filling the void left by Adellin. With Castro's outstanding performance added, KIA is now aiming to leap from the middle of the pack to the upper ranks. Expectations from KIA fans for him are rising even higher.

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*This content was translated by AI.