[Official Announcement] 162 km/h ML foreign investor departs Korea after just 14 games... LG makes bold decision as team plummets to third place in 57 days

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins, who have fallen to third place, have finally made the decision to replace their foreign pitcher.

On the 21st, ahead of the Jamsil NC Dinos game, LG officially announced that it has filed a waiver notice with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for its foreign pitcher Yassel Lios (33).

This comes just two months after he joined the team. Lios signed with LG on the 3rd of last month for a total contract value of $450,000, replacing Yoni Chirinos (33). As a right-handed fireballer capable of throwing pitches exceeding 155 km/h in Major League Baseball (MLB), he had drawn significant attention. In fact, he set a new KBO record for pitch speed at 161.7 km/h, raising expectations even further.

However, his performance did not match his velocity. In 14 games, he recorded one win, two losses, five holds, and two saves, with an ERA of 3.63 over 17⅓ innings. He allowed seven walks and struck out 17 batters, while opponents hit .250 against him. His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) stood at 1.33, making it difficult to consider him a reliable presence. Additionally, due to frequent injuries, he was unable to deliver the consecutive outings often expected of foreign relief pitchers.

Compounding the issue, LG's starting rotation struggled while the offense remained silent, leaving Lios with few opportunities to pitch. Ultimately, LG decided to replace him with another foreign pitcher capable of starting games, as he had become an expensive burden.

LG's situation has deteriorated significantly since July. The team posted a 5.10 ERA (fifth in the league) and a .273 batting average (fourth in the league), while also suffering from inconsistent performance, leading to a five-game losing streak for the first time in three years. Following their defeat against KT Wiz at Jamsil on the 19th, they fell back to third place — their lowest ranking since May 23, when they lost to Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil, marking a 57-day absence from the top three.

In particular, the starting rotation has failed to establish clear dominance, making games increasingly difficult to manage. Especially in July, the first through third starters have underperformed: Anders Tollhurst recorded a 5.73 ERA over two games, Lachlan Wells posted a 5.06 ERA across three games, and Lim Chan-kyu logged a 7.71 ERA in three appearances.

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

*This content was translated by AI.