Taiwanese pitcher Sanchez considered instead of Medina
KIA struggles with underperformance until No. 1 starter Anderson
By Yoon-seo Park = As the Kia Tigers continue their search for a new foreign pitcher to replace Adonis Medina (27), they are looking for an alternative to some extent.
However, KIA’s woes may not end there. Another foreign pitcher, Shawn Anderson (29), has also shown promise, and it’s interesting to see if he’ll stick around for the rest of the season.
For the time being, KIA is parting ways with Medina. In his first KBO start this year, Medina struggled mightily, going 2-6 with a 6.05 ERA in 12 appearances.
He had only three quality starts, and his batting average and WHIP (walks allowed per inning) were 0.283 and 1.60, respectively. Overall, his pitching was far from consistent.
With patience running out, KIA removed Medina from the first team roster on March 22. No more chances. The KIA chose to part ways with Medina. On March 28, KIA president Shim Jae-hak traveled to the United States to search for a replacement foreign pitcher.
In the meantime, the news of KIA’s new foreign pitcher came from Taiwan. The Taiwanese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Stats, an official Twitter account, announced on Feb. 2 that the club had signed right-hander Mario Sanchez, who played for the CPBL’s Tung Yi Lions.
Sanchez appeared in 10 games (nine starts) in the CPBL this year, going 8-1 with a 1.44 ERA in 62⅔ innings pitched. While he has no major league experience, he has plenty of minor league experience. In a 10-year career, he went 44-33 with a 3.94 ERA.
Contrary to the Taiwanese reports, KIA is not currently in talks with Sanchez. “There is a possibility of signing him and he is a strong candidate, but we have not signed him,” said a KIA official.
As the search for a new foreign pitcher takes shape, eyes naturally turn to Anderson. Anderson was Kia’s first choice pitcher, but his performance has been less than satisfactory. In 14 games and 79 innings pitched, he has a 4-7 record with a 3.76 ERA.
Anderson was an ace in April with a 2.58 ERA, but he failed to maintain his momentum. In May, he struggled to a 7.71 ERA in four starts.
On May 29, KIA finally made the hard decision to remove Anderson from the first team roster. They felt he needed time to readjust.메이저놀이터
Anderson showed improvement upon his return, recording a quality start in three of his four games. Some of those starts were lucky. He started against the Gwangju Kiwoom on March 29 and gave up four runs in the first inning, but the game was rained out.
KIA can’t afford to lose. They are in ninth place with a season record of 30 wins, 1 tie, and 38 losses. Anderson’s steady performance will be essential to their rebound. Having already fallen on their sword once, KIA’s woes will only deepen if Anderson is unable to fulfill his role.