"Must make the right choice": Will KT's second-half foreign investor lineup change? Likely extension of KBO veteran part-timer → 'Bearded full-time' from LAD also can't rest easy

*This content was translated by AI.

The KT Wiz pitching staff is in trouble. With the injury absence of foreign ace Caleb Boshly (33) dragging on, there is a possibility that the second-half pitching rotation will change.

Head coach Lee Kang-cheol said ahead of the home game against the Lotte Giants at the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 4th, "We may extend Logan's contract a bit more. Boshly could also go to the minor league and build up until he can throw 90 pitches."

Boshly, who joined KT for the first time this season, served as the primary starter with 11 games, 7 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 3.16, and 56 strikeouts in 62⅔ innings before his injury. However, after injuring his right shoulder during bullpen work on the 2nd last month, even the seemingly solid KT pitching staff began to show cracks.

Logan came in as a short-term replacement foreign investor on a six-week contract to fill Boshly's injury void. He was a so-called KBO veteran part-timer who had previously played full-time for NC Dinos last year, recording 32 games, 7 wins, 12 losses, an ERA of 4.53, and 149 strikeouts in 173 innings.

He showed different stuff compared to his time with NC. Unlike last year when he struggled with injuries, Logan entered this season in good health, increasing his average fastball velocity by about 3 km/h and posting a 3.00 ERA over three games. In response, Coach Lee Kang-cheol revealed plans to use Logan on a four-day rotation schedule and began managing his pitch count early. This was the reason Logan was taken off the mound after throwing only 77 pitches over seven innings in the Suwon Lotte game on the 3rd.

Furthermore, as Boshly's condition has not improved, variables have emerged in KT's second-half plans. A KT club official explained, "After receiving an intermediate checkup yesterday, player Boshly was advised that he needs about two more weeks to recover from his existing subscapularis injury in the right shoulder."

Logan's contract is set to end around the end of July, but for KT, there is no need to replace a player who is performing well so early. Since Boshly's injury involves sensitive shoulder muscles and his exact status can only be determined after he returns and throws, an extension of Logan's contract is highly likely.

The same uncertainty applies to another full-time foreign investor, Matt Sauer (27). At the time of his signing, Sauer drew significant attention as a pitcher included in the opening day roster of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2024 MLB World Series champions. His stylish mustache is Sauer's trademark.

He was introduced as a pitcher capable of throwing a variety of pitches including cutter, sinker, slider, and splitter, with a fastball reaching speeds in the mid-150 km/h range. However, he failed to deliver the expected performance during the regular season, posting 6 wins, 4 losses, an ERA of 4.48, 64 strikeouts in 86⅓ innings, a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.36, and a batting average against of 0.248 over 15 games.

His walks per nine innings stood at 3.75, indicating control issues, yet his strikeouts per nine innings of 6.67 did not reflect outstanding stuff either. He never recorded a scoreless inning in 15 appearances and managed to pitch seven innings only once. If Boshly returns healthy and performs as before, and if Logan continues his current form, Sauer will be the most concerning figure.

Moreover, with Boshly's expected return date approaching August 15—the deadline for finalizing foreign player registrations for postseason play—KT, which is in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs, faces difficult decisions. Coach Lee Kang-cheol stated, "If (Boshly's) shoulder is bad, we may have to make a change and need to see clearly. Now we must make the right choice. We need to think it over."

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*This content was translated by AI.