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Padres Trade Former LG Twins Reliever to Marlins
Woo-Suk Go, once a dominant relief pitcher in the KBO with the LG Twins from 2017-23, was dealt from the San Diego Padres to the Miami Marlins in a trade sending second baseman Luis Arraez to San Diego.
Go signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Padres during the offseason but is yet to make his Major League Baseball debut. He posted a 4.38 ERA in 10 games out of the bullpen for Double-A San Antonio. The 25-year-old recorded a career-high 80 strikeouts in 60.2 innings in 2022 for the Twins in South Korea.
KIA Tigers Kim Do-Yeong Hits 10 HR, Steals 10 Bases in April
Tigers third baseman Kim Do-Yeong became the first player in KBO history to hit at least 10 home runs and steal 10 bases in one month. Kim, 20, accomplished the feat in April.
Amazingly, Kim did not hit a home run in March, but he hit his 10th home run of April on Thursday, April 25, in the top of the fifth inning of a 13-2 win against the Kiwoom Heroes. According to The Korea Times, Kim is on pace to become just the second player in KBO history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season.
The only player to do so is former NC Dinos first baseman and designated hitter Eric Thames, who hit 47 home runs and stole 40 bases for the club in 2015.
Lotte Giants Lead KBO with 360 Pitch Clock Violations
On Monday, Korea JoongAng Daily reported the Lotte Giants led the KBO with 360 pitch clock violations in the team’s first 34 games of the year, averaging 10.59 per game.
A pitch clock was introduced to the KBO for the 2024 season, but the rules of throwing a pitch within 18 seconds with no runners on base and 23 seconds with runners on base have yet to be enforced. Therefore, no violation is given to a pitcher if he does not throw a pitch in time.
However, Korea JoongAng Daily reports that the KBO tracks hypothetical pitch clock violations across the league.
As of Sunday, the KBO announced that the 10 teams in the KBO committed 2,173 pitch clock violations during the first 178 games played. Without punishment, there may be no reason for a pitcher to speed up his timing and delivery on the mound.
This Day in Korean Baseball History
On May 6, 2016, Pittsburgh Pirates Korean third baseman Jung-ho Kang hit two home runs in a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was Kang’s first game of the season and his first since September 2015, when he fractured his leg and tore his MCL while covering second base during a double play attempt against the Chicago Cubs. Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan slid aggressively into second base, injuring Kang.
KBO Standings as of Monday, May 6