Will it be possible for Hanwha to finish last without Birch Smith (33), the new foreign pitcher?
Hanha had high expectations from Smith. This is because he was a pitcher who did his part for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese professional baseball last year.
Seibu also offered to renew the contract, but Smith chose Hanwha, who wanted him as a starter. In a situation where he re-signed with Pena, who left a bit of a disappointment last year, Smith was a player who had to be the first starter.
But the dream didn’t last long.
Smith started the game against Kiwoom at Gocheok Dome on the 1st, but complained of shoulder pain after 2.2 innings and gave up the game voluntarily.
Smith has struggled with shoulder injuries before. Hanwha did a double-triple medical check, but there was another problem this time.
However, it was found that it was not a previous injury.
Even if his injured area is different, the shoulder injury is bound to be a concern. Because he will take a long time to recover.
He has to work hard even after coming back from injury. Ongoing management is required.
He has no choice but to fall short of playing a big role as the first starter.
On this day, Smith threw a fastball of 154 km per hour, and allowed three hits by properly mixing two-seam, curve, changeup, and slider.
The problem is when Smith’s injury is prolonged. Hanwha has not spared large investments to get out of the last place for three consecutive years. Smith was one of them.
He paid a huge amount of money to recruit Smith, expecting that he would play the role of an ace.
Can Hanwha get out of last place without Smith?
Not likely. Pena was very sluggish in the demonstration game and was worried. On top of that, Kim Min-woo, the first native starter, is also not at a good pace.
The bullpen is finding a sense of stability in its own way, but a stable bullpen is just a fancy ornament in a situation where the three starting positions are faltering. A good bullpen alone will never produce good results. 메이저사이트
With Smith holding the center, I had no choice but to wait for the pace of Pena and Kim Min-woo to rise. Hanwha can gain strength when it shows the power that can not be avoided even in a confrontation with the opponent’s first starter. In a situation where there is a part that is nerve-wracking, a head-to-head confrontation in the first selection is bound to be risky.
However, the possibility of not having such expectations from Smith increased.
Best case scenario, Smith’s injury will stop at just pain. In the opposite case, Hanwha could hit a big wall.
Even if you have strengthened your offensive power, you can never rise to a high rank if your pitching power, especially the starting pitcher, does not hold up.
For now, we have no choice but to eagerly wait for Smith’s health to return to normal.