LG Twins release fireballer Rios amid losing skid to sign new foreign pitcher

In a surprising move, the defending Korean baseball champions LG Twins released setup man Yacksel Rios on Tuesday, about a month after acquiring the fireballer from Puerto Rico.

The Twins said they are in the final stages of a contract negotiation with a new foreign pitcher to take Rios' spot in their staff.

The Twins acquired Rios on June 3, choosing to replace struggling starting pitcher Yonny Chirinos with the bullpen arm. Rios made his KBO debut a week later and went on to post a 3.63 ERA with five holds and two saves in 14 outings.

Rios struck out 17 batters in 17 1/3 innings, flashing overpowering fastballs that quickly earned the praise of his manager Youm Kyoung-youb, who once touted Rios as one of the KBO's top relief pitchers.

However, mired in a season-worst five-game losing skid, during which they fell from first to third in the standings, the Twins are rolling the dice by giving up on the league's hardest-throwing reliever who was averaging over 157 kilometers (97.5 miles) per hour with his fastball.

The Twins are expected to sign a starting pitcher to bolster their injury-depleted rotation.

Yonhap