[Official Announcement] Seven-game losing streak for SSG; all foreign pitchers replaced... Benigiano placed on waivers with 6.10 ERA

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers, now in a seven-game losing streak, made a decisive move. Left-handed pitcher Anthony Benigiano (29) will ultimately leave Korea.

On the 4th, SSG announced: "We have requested the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to place foreign pitcher Benigiano on waivers. We plan to announce any new foreign player acquisition once administrative procedures are completed."

This was an expected sequence. Benigiano had drawn high expectations as a top left-handed starting pitcher, capable of throwing pitches up to 155 km/h. At the time of his signing, SSG stated: "Benigiano effectively utilizes various breaking balls including sliders, changeups, and curves with high precision. He excels in inducing grounders through deception that disrupts batters' timing and precise control, while also showing strengths in suppressing extra-base hits and striking out batters."

However, he failed to deliver the expected performance. In 16 games, he recorded 2 wins and 5 losses with a 6.10 ERA over 79⅔ innings, 68 strikeouts, a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.63, and a batting average against of 0.302, remaining unstable throughout the season.

Among his 16 games played in Korea, he completed one scoreless outing without allowing any runs — on June 7 against Incheon KT Wiz over seven innings. Although his ERA of 4.84 across five games in May seemed acceptable, it collapsed to 7.31 over five games in June, ultimately forcing SSG to make the decision.

As the pool of available foreign players continues to shrink, SSG found it increasingly difficult to make easy decisions. Meanwhile, SSG fell into a seven-game losing streak and dropped to ninth place in the league, just three games ahead of last-place Kiwoom Heroes (29 wins, 1 tie, 53 losses). In his final appearance on the 2nd against Gwangju KIA Tigers, Benigiano pitched five innings, allowing seven hits (including one home run), issuing two walks, recording three strikeouts, and giving up two earned runs — failing to support an already exhausted bullpen.

As a result, SSG has now replaced all foreign pitchers prepared for this season from the start. Things went wrong immediately. Drew Buhagen (36, formerly with NC Dinos), previously signed, failed medical tests, leading SSG to sign Benigiano instead.

Mitch White (32), in his second year, also performed poorly with a 4.11 ERA over six games. Compounding the issue, he was placed on waivers in May due to a diagnosis of right shoulder rotator cuff injury. Hiramoto Kengo (27), signed as a temporary foreign replacement for White's injury, also failed to meet expectations with a 9.56 ERA over four games, leaving SSG's pitching mound completely collapsed.

As of the end of play on the 3rd, SSG's starting pitcher ERA stood at 6.20, significantly trailing KT in ninth place with an ERA of 4.6.

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*This content was translated by AI.