Right-handed pitcher Sean Anderson, 30, who was released by the Kia Tigers of the KBO last year, has returned to the major leagues in a Texas Rangers uniform. He was likely to return to Korea as a replacement pitcher, but with a pitching shortage in Texas, he took the opportunity to earn a big league call-up.
Anderson took the mound as the team’s fourth pitcher in the top of the seventh inning of a 7-1 home game against the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on April 18 (KST). It was a meaningful outing for Anderson, as the game was tied and the game was effectively over. It was his first big league start in 690 days, dating back to June 28, 2022, when he pitched one inning of relief against the Boston Red Sox (allowing two runs on four hits) as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Anderson pitched into the bottom of the ninth inning,
Allowing two runs on three hits and five walks with three strikeouts. The game ended in a 3-9 loss for Texas, but Anderson was up to the task, throwing 48 pitches. He threw an even mix of five pitches: slider (25), four-seam fastball (15), sweeper, sinker (at least three), and changeup (two). 안전놀이터 추천 His fastball topped out at 92.4 miles per hour (148.7 km/h).
Texas is without Cy Young Award one-two punchers Jacob deGrom (elbow) and Max Scherzer (back), both lost for the season to surgery and rehab, as well as starters Nathan Eovaldi (groin), Dane Dunning (shoulder) and Cody Bradford (back), and reliever Josh Svotz (shoulder).
After top prospect Zach Leiter, the second overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft, struggled mightily with a 3-1 record and 16.39 ERA, Texas sent him down to Triple-A on Saturday and recalled Anderson. To make room for Anderson on the 40-man roster, Texas moved Schuerzer to the 60-day disabled list. Schuerzer, who is rehabbing from back surgery, has been delayed by a sore thumb and a triceps nerve issue.
Anderson, who signed a minor league contract with Texas on May 19, started all four games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, going 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA. He struck out 22 batters and walked just four in 21 1/3 innings. His performance in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which has a lot of hitter-friendly ballparks, makes it even more impressive.
Anderson’s success in Triple-A caught the attention of KBO clubs.
More than half of the 10 teams were looking for a replacement foreign pitcher, and Anderson’s experience in the KBO made him a priority. It seemed likely that he would return to Korea soon, but his call-up to the big leagues disappointed the teams that wanted him. If Anderson is removed from Texas’ 40-man roster, he could be contacted again, but it’s unlikely to happen given the injury-riddled Texas mound.
There is a shortage of pitchers in the United States, with pitchers released from South Korea being called up to the major leagues less than a year later. The pitching shortage is getting worse as pitchers are getting injured in recent years, whether it’s due to the fastball revolution or the pitch clock introduced last year, and it’s getting harder for KBO clubs to find foreign pitchers.
Anderson was acquired by Kia last year with the hopes of becoming an ace, using up the entire $1 million cap on new foreign players. In April, he was 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA in six games, but his performance was extremely up and down from May. His fastball-slider monotonous two-pitch arsenal was not enough to keep him in the game, and he was sent to the second team in late May.
He rebounded with a 1-2 record and a 2.96 ERA in four starts after returning to the first team, but Kia released Anderson in early July and reacquired left-hander Thomas Pannoni to replace him. He was 4-7 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 games (79 innings), with 64 strikeouts and eight quality starts, 메이저 토토사이트 but the Kia made a bold move to make a run for the fifth spot. Pannoni was mediocre, going 6-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 16 games (82⅓ innings), and KIA finished sixth in the fall, one game behind fifth-place Doosan.
