KIA's "thousand horses and ten thousand soldiers" is finally returning for the second half! Already completed a 3-inning scoreless return in Futures League action, manager says, "I watched the broadcast from start to finish."

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Beom-ho (24), who served as a left-handed national team pitcher for KIA Tigers, is finally returning for the second half. The manager indicated plans to register him immediately in the roster upon the start of the second half and utilize him right away.

KIA manager Lee Beom-ho was asked about Lee Beom-ho ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game against Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium on the 8th.

In response, Manager Lee stated, "We are currently considering calling him up immediately with the start of the second half. He has already thrown in the Futures League. There is no plan to use him as a starter initially. We need a resource who can demonstrate his capabilities over 3–4 innings rather than just one inning here and pitch for an extended period."

Continuing on Lee Beom-ho, he added, "We received reports that he is doing well. I also watched the (Futures League) broadcast. It seems there were not many walks."

On the 6th, Lee Beom-ho delivered a scoreless performance over 3 innings against Ulsan Whales in a Futures League game, allowing 2 hits, issuing 1 walk, and recording 4 strikeouts.

Manager Lee said, "I watched his entire pitching performance; he has fully developed his stuff. Upon his return, we plan to use him as a long reliever, and if the opportunity arises later, it would be good to bring him in as a starter."

Lee Beom-ho underwent Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament reconstruction) in June 2024 and struggled from the beginning of this season. He appeared in 10 games total this year, posting a record of 1 win and 6 losses with an ERA of 9.42. Over 35⅓ innings, he allowed 41 hits (including 8 home runs), issued 33 walks, recorded 39 strikeouts, and gave up 37 runs (all earned). His WHIP was 2.09, and his batting average against was 0.295.

To allow for rest, Lee Beom-ho spent ten days from May 17 to 26 recovering outside the first-division roster. He returned on May 29 in a game against LG Twins but struggled, allowing 4 hits (including 1 home run), issuing 4 walks, recording 1 strikeout, and giving up 6 runs (all earned) over 2 innings.

Additionally, on May 28, KIA signed Japanese Asian quota starter Keisho Shirakawa under a total contract value of $100,000 (signing bonus $20,000, annual salary $40,000, option fee $40,000), enriching their starting rotation. With James Nail, Adam Oller, Yang Hyeon-jong, Hwang Dong-ha, and Kim Tae-hyung already in place, they now have six starting resources including Shirakawa. Consequently, Lee Beom-ho was removed from the first-division roster on May 30 without further opportunity.

Thereafter, Lee Beom-ho underwent special training at Next Base Athletes Lab located in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, alongside Kim Si-hoon, Kang Hyo-jong, and Hong Min-gyu. He departed for Japan on June 10 and completed his training through June 28. Upon returning to Korea, he raised his physical condition to its peak before making his first Futures League return appearance on the 6th.

Although KIA recently fell into a four-game losing streak, they have recorded 44 wins, 2 draws, and 39 losses this season, securing sole fourth place in the league. Aiming for a top-tier finish in the second half, the team is considering utilizing both Lee Beom-ho and Kim Tae-hyung as long relievers. If both players perform well in that role, they are expected to provide significant strength to KIA's pitching staff. They serve as starting resources capable of implementing a 1+1 strategy if starters collapse early.

Will Lee Beom-ho, who even underwent short-term study abroad, show what kind of performance in the second half? Expectations from KIA fans are growing even higher.

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*This content was translated by AI.