'Top speed 154km/h' reliever Lee Ui-ri earns passing grade, but ultimately the starter role: "Wouldn't it be a waste?" Coach Kim's wish [Incheon field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Ui-ri (24), once hailed as the successor to ace pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong (38, KIA Tigers) and a cornerstone for both KIA and Korean baseball, is now seeking a resurgence as a reliever after enduring a long period of ups and downs.

On the 16th at Incheon SSG Landers Field during a visiting game against SSG Landers in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, Lee Ui-ri entered in the bottom of the 8th inning with his team trailing 0-6. He threw 13 pitches over one inning, allowing no hits and no walks while delivering a scoreless performance.

Drafted first overall in 2021, Lee Ui-ri won Rookie of the Year in his debut season and followed up with double-digit wins for two consecutive years, meeting high expectations.

However, unlike his powerful fastball, his chronic control issues proved difficult to resolve, leaving him to finish the season with lingering regrets.

Even this season, he threw pitches reaching a personal best of 156 km/h, but control remained problematic. He eventually departed for a short-term study stint at "Next Base Athletic Lab" in Ishikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, before returning.

After earning a passing grade with a scoreless outing over three innings against the Ulsan Whales in the Futures League on the 6th—allowing two hits, one walk, and striking out four batters—Lee Ui-ri was called up at the start of the second half and made his debut immediately. Though he appeared in relief rather than his familiar starting role and faced a low-pressure situation where the game's outcome was already largely decided, he finished the inning cleanly with precise control and no walks or hits allowed. His top velocity reached 154 km/h.

Coach Kim met with reporters before the game and said, "His stuff looked good. I also discussed it with the pitching coach, and he mentioned that throwing just one inning early on gives him less fear of walks compared to when he starts and pitches longer. That seems to have boosted his confidence. His fastball is naturally tricky if it's not a strike, but his breaking balls showed excellent spin and pitching mechanics. We plan to keep using him in this role."

He will remain available from the bullpen today. If starter Shirakawa completes five innings, the team plans to deploy its winning lineup; however, if that fails, they intend to have Lee Ui-ri pitch around one inning. Coach Kim added, "His current feel is good, and since he has confidence now, we're considering using him more in relief."

Coach Kim stated, "He hasn't thrown much since undergoing ligament replacement surgery, so he seems fresh. We need to make use of his potential. Leveraging Lee Ui-ri's strengths is crucial for our team right now."

If his relief performances continue steadily, his role may evolve. Coach Kim explained, "If he can consistently handle one inning, we'll start using him in that capacity. If it becomes burdensome, we'll shift him to longer stints of three innings. Lee Ui-ri is still finding his feel on the mound. Should our starters struggle slightly, he could return to the rotation. This flexible approach may also provide an opportunity to determine what suits him best."

However, the ultimate goal remains returning him to the starting rotation. "The best option is for him to start again. It would be a waste not to utilize him. He possesses unique resources—throwing at 155 km/h and capable of pitching up to 100 pitches without strain—that no other team has. From the perspective of our team's future, simply leaving such talent unused doesn't make sense. If he couldn't pitch before, that might be understandable, but as a pitcher who previously achieved 10 wins, securing his consistency should lead to improvement," Coach Kim expressed his expectations.

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*This content was translated by AI.