'Davidson acquisition rumors' → Kiwoom's foreign pitcher in crisis, forced out after 1 inning, 5 earned runs! Reached top speed of 148 km/h... Will a decision be made?

*This content was translated by AI.

As the baseball world is shaken by the waiver filing of NC Dinos' foreign hitter Matt Davidson (35), Kiwoom Heroes' foreign pitcher Wiles (28), who had to prove his value, collapsed miserably on the trial of fate. Leaving the worst performance record at the watershed moment that would determine the club's plan for a foreign pitcher in the second half of the season, Kiwoom's decision is expected to enter the countdown.

Wiles started against NC Dinos in an away game in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' held at Changwon NC Park on the 28th, but was pulled out early after allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 5 earned runs (4 unearned) in just one inning.

The game that day was a critical stage for both Wiles and the Kiwoom club to determine their foreign pitcher strategy. Manager Seol Jong-jin had said, "We will carefully observe Wiles' pitching after his return from shoulder injury and make a decision," leaving open the possibility of utilizing two foreign hitters. In this situation, Davidson was placed on waivers by NC.

In this situation, Wiles' pitching after his return from shoulder injury was far from enough to dominate the NC lineup. Wiles, who took the mound in the bottom of the first inning, showed poor control and allowed consecutive hits from the early stages of the game.

On this day, Wiles threw as many as 44 pitches in the first inning alone. He used 18 fastballs, 14 sliders, and 12 changeups respectively. His fastball reached a top speed of 148 km/h (minimum 141 km/h), showing signs of returning to his pre-injury form in terms of velocity.

However, control instability caused by a shaken balance held him back. Of the 18th fastballs, only 8 were strikes, and there were as many as 10 balls, indicating he could not find his rhythm. He tried to get counts with sliders and changeups, but the NC lineup was too sharp to avoid the situation with breaking balls alone. Flat pitches that drifted into the center of the strike zone became easy prey for NC hitters without exception. It is analyzed that he tried to throw too hard, causing his fastball control to slip.

Eventually, Wiles allowed 5 runs in the first inning alone after giving up as many as 5 hits. It seemed he could not overcome the aftermath of his injury; neither pitching that relied on the defense to catch balls nor pitching that dominated with velocity worked. He recorded a serious overuse of 44 pitches just to get three outs, and the mound was already devastated. The Kiwoom bench judged that they could no longer watch, and Park Ji-sung was brought onto the mound at the start of the second inning.

As Wiles endured his worst return game, Kiwoom's direction for its foreign pitcher strategy is expected to fluctuate sharply. A Kiwoom club official took a cautious stance on the acquisition rumors of Davidson, who was placed on waivers by NC the previous day (27th), saying, "We can consider it, but nothing has been specifically decided." However, this was a scenario assumed only if Wiles' health was confirmed.

Wiles, whose top speed was limited to 142 km/h in recent practice games, managed to reach 148 km/h in this return game but failed to fill the gap caused by his injury as he allowed consecutive solid hits. A complete red light was turned on for Kiwoom's plan to maintain the starting rotation and add stability.

Davidson, who appeared on the waiver market, is a proven hitter whose batting average reached as high as 0.419 in his recent 10 games. Although his home run pace may have dropped, his batting average with runners in scoring position remains strong. For Kiwoom, which is suffering from a lack of offensive power, considering the possibility that Wiles' poor performance and durability concerns could prolong, the rationale for boldly clearing Wiles and acquiring Davidson to make the bold move of 'two foreign hitters' has become even clearer.

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*This content was translated by AI.