John, of Korean descent who played in the WBC, sees batting average drop to 0.137 → Ultimately faces 'DFA' status

*This content was translated by AI.

Lowamy John (29), a Korean outfielder who played as the centerpiece of the Korean national baseball team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, has ultimately faced release from the Detroit Tigers after a prolonged slump.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) Detroit club announced on the 10th (Korean time) that it placed John on designated for assignment (DFA). Instead of keeping John on the roster, Detroit called up promising catcher Eduardo Valencia (26) from Triple-A.

Detroit's decision resulted from a convergence of internal and external challenges. With starting catcher Dylan Dingle suffering a hand injury, strengthening the catching corps became urgent, while John struggled to escape severe hitting slumps. Ultimately, the club decided to clear John's spot to bolster catcher depth.

.

John appeared in 57 games this season, posting a somewhat disappointing .137 batting average (95 at-bats, 13 hits), two home runs, seven RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.440. In particular, he failed to show signs of recovery in June, playing in 15 games with a monthly batting average plummeting to .091 (22 at-bats, two hits).

This stands in stark contrast to last season, when he played in 72 games, recording a .287 batting average, seven home runs, 23 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.937, contributing significantly to Detroit's offense. John, whose mother is Korean, debuted in MLB with the Los Angeles Angels in the 2020 season and later wore the Korean national team uniform during the March WBC, performing prominently in the heart of the lineup and becoming familiar to domestic fans.

Placed on DFA, John will now wait up to a week for other teams interested in acquiring him. If a suitable team emerges, he can be traded immediately; otherwise, he may be assigned to the minor leagues or become a free agent (FA).

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.