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KBO teams scramble to find replacements after multiple foreign pitchers are injured

Published: 08 Apr. 2026, 14:29 Updated: 08 Apr. 2026, 18:04

From left: Baseball pitchers Matt Manning, Riley Thompson, Owen White and Chris Flexen have been sidelined due to injuries. [SAMSUNG LIONS, YONHAP, NEWS1]

Just two weeks into the new professional baseball season, a wave of injuries to foreign pitchers has forced KBO teams to scramble for replacements.

The string of absences began with Samsung Lions starting pitcher Matt Manning, who was sidelined about a month before the regular season opener in late February. He felt elbow pain during a practice game in spring camp, and medical tests later confirmed he required surgery, the team said in a press release on Feb. 28. He has yet to appear in a game this season.

The NC Dinos lost starting pitcher Riley Thompson just three days before the start of the new season in late March due to a left oblique injury. He is expected to miss at least six weeks.

The Hanwha Eagles announced last week that pitcher Owen White will also be sidelined for at least six weeks with a hamstring injury. The right-hander reportedly tore his left hamstring while receiving a throw at first base during his KBO regular-season debut against the KT Wiz on March 31.

Doosan Bears pitcher Chris Flexen was forced to leave a game last Friday after just one inning due to back pain, which was later diagnosed as a partial tear of the subscapularis muscle in his right shoulder.

With key foreign pitchers sidelined, clubs have moved quickly to respond. The Samsung Lions signed left-hander Jack O’Loughlin, who pitched for Australia in the World Baseball Classic, as a temporary replacement. “The Australian league runs from October to January. He was in good physical condition and highly motivated,” Shin Dong-geol, the head of the team’s operations, said.

The NC Dinos signed Drew VerHagen to a short-term deal. “Riley’s injury is not considered serious, and we expect him to return soon, so we opted for a short-term contract with VerHagen,” NC Dinos general manager Lim Sun-nam said. VerHagen allowed one run over three innings in his KBO debut against the Lotte Giants last Thursday.

Hanwha Eagles players celebrate after a 6-2 victory over the SSG Landers after a KBO League game at the SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 7. [NEWS1]

The Hanwha Eagles and Doosan Bears, which received news of their injuries relatively late, faced a more urgent situation as the available player pool had already narrowed with seasons underway in the United States, Japan and Taiwan. Still, both teams secured replacements.

The Hanwha Eagles signed Jack Cushing just five days after White’s injury. The right-hander posted 11 wins and two losses with a 6.67 earned run average in Triple-A last year. While his earned run average was high in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, the team focused on his league-leading win total.

“We update the contract status of players in the U.S. leagues daily in preparation for potential injuries,” Choi Hong-seong, the head of Hanwha Eagles’ strategy team, said. “Cushing terminated his contract with his previous team on March 21 and has been pitching recently.”

The Doosan Bears selected left-hander Wes Benjamin, who has prior experience in the KBO League, signing him in less than 72 hours after Flexen’s injury. Benjamin recorded 31 wins and 18 losses with a 3.74 earned run average over three seasons with the KT Wiz from 2022 to 2024.

“We keep a list of five to 10 replacement candidates ready. Benjamin was one of them,” Ham Tae-soo, a Doosan Bears spokesperson, said.

While teams have addressed the immediate gaps, it remains uncertain whether the new signings will stay through the end of the season. Since the introduction of the temporary replacement player system, 10 such players have been signed, but only two cases — Hanwha Eagles’ Ryan Weiss and Luis Liberato — led to full contracts.

The Samsung Lions plan to evaluate O’Loughlin’s performance while continuing their search for additional options. The Doosan Bears will monitor Flexen’s recovery, as he is expected to be sidelined for at least six to eight weeks. Thompson is expected to return soon for the NC Dinos, and the Hanwha Eagles plan to return White to the mound once he regains full fitness.

BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]