'Sudden blow' creates major variable in the fierce battle for top five; ace beloved by Korea 'unexpectedly' sidelined with shoulder injury

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A major unexpected setback has struck the Doosan Bears, who are continuing their intense battle for a top-five finish. Wes Benjamin (33), who has served as the team's foreign ace, has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury.

On the 21st, ahead of their home game against the Lotte Giants at Seoul Jamsil Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, Doosan removed Benjamin from its first-division roster.

According to a Doosan official, Benjamin recently complained of discomfort in his shoulder area and underwent a detailed examination at a hospital on the 21st. The diagnosis revealed a minor tear in his left subscapularis muscle.

For now, Benjamin will rest without pitching while remaining off the first-division roster. He plans to focus on recovery for one week before coordinating his return date through a follow-up examination.

This season, Doosan has recorded 57 wins, 50 losses, and 4 ties, placing them alone in fifth place in the league. They are 6.5 games ahead of sixth-place NC Dinos and 2.5 games behind third-place KIA Tigers. The team is in a position to not only secure a spot in the postseason but also potentially aim for an even higher finish.

Benjamin's role has been significant in this achievement. Ahead of this season, Doosan signed Chris Flexen. However, Flexen complained of back pain after just two appearances and was sidelined. The pitcher Doosan signed to replace Flexen was none other than Benjamin. The contract size was a total of $50,000 for six weeks (approximately 75 million won). At the time, a Doosan official explained, "Benjamin has been a stable starting pitcher in the KBO League over three seasons. We judged him to still possess competitiveness and expect him to minimize gaps in our rotation."

Since then, Benjamin has made 19 starts this season, recording 5 wins, 7 losses, an ERA of 2.53, 106⅔ innings pitched, 100 hits allowed (5 home runs), 28 walks, 108 strikeouts, and 38 runs allowed (30 earned). His WHIP stands at 1.20, and his batting average against is 0.247. He has achieved a quality start (six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs) on ten occasions.

As the injury to existing foreign pitcher Flexen prolonged, Doosan ultimately reached out to Benjamin first. On July 2, Doosan signed Benjamin to a definitive contract worth $450,000 (approximately 700 million won).

In his most recent game on the 18th against NC Dinos, Benjamin successfully pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five batters, giving up three runs (one earned), maintaining his steady performance. However, following that game, he complained of shoulder pain and will be unable to take the mound for the time being. For Doosan, the best-case scenario is for Benjamin to receive a clean bill of health at his follow-up examination scheduled for one week from now.

Meanwhile, Benjamin was selected by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Before coming to Korea, he appeared in 21 games (three starts) in the major leagues through the 2021 season, posting a record of 2 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 6.80. In the minor leagues, he played in 139 games (123 starts), recording 36 wins, 37 losses, and an ERA of 4.91.

Thereafter, Benjamin played for KT Wiz from the 2022 season through the 2024 season, spanning three years. Appearing in 74 KBO League games while pitching 406⅓ innings for KT, he compiled a record of 31 wins, 18 losses, and an ERA of 3.74. Notably, in 2023, he secured 15 wins, placing second in the league's win category.

Most importantly, he is well known as a pitcher who loves Korea. During the 2023 postseason while with KT, he appeared wearing a cap inscribed with the word "ITAEWON," sharing the pain of the Itaewon tragedy. Additionally, whenever possible, he has engaged in donation activities alongside foreign teammates on his team, demonstrating his warm heart for Korea.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original