Pitcher Go Woo-suk heads back to minors after clearing waivers
The Minnesota Twins made the move two days after designating the right-hander for assignment following four games with their Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints.
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Go Woo-suk delivers to Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom in the eighth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on July 12.
REUTERS/YONHAP
Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk is on his way back to the minor leagues after clearing waivers.
The Minnesota Twins made the move on Sunday, two days after designating the right-hander for assignment following four games with their Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints.
Once a player is designated for assignment, he can be traded or placed on irrevocable waivers within seven days. If the player clears waivers — that is, if he is not picked by a team — then he may be sent outright to the minors or released, becoming a free agent. Since the annual trade deadline had already passed, Go had to wait and see if any team would claim him off waivers.
When no team showed interest in Go, the Twins chose to send the pitcher back to the Saints instead of releasing him.
Go made his long-awaited MLB debut with the Twins on July 9, more than two years after first moving to the United States by signing with the San Diego Padres.
But Go lasted just four games and four innings with the big league club, giving up four earned runs on eight hits, including two home runs. He was optioned to Triple-A after surrendering three runs on four hits in one inning of work on July 20.
On July 24, Go was ejected from what would have been his first game with the Saints for having an illegal substance in his glove. He was initially suspended for 10 games but had it reduced to eight games following an appeal.
In eight outings for the Saints, Go went 2-1 but allowed 13 earned runs on nine hits in 9 1/3 innings, for an ugly 12.54 ERA. He also issued 11 walks, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches.
Go had a successful run as a top-notch closer in the KBO before signing with the Padres in January 2024. He never reached MLB with the Padres, which pinned him down in the minors and traded him to the Miami Marlins in May 2024.
The Marlins’ Triple-A team, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, released Go in June 2025. The Detroit Tigers then signed him to a minor league deal later that month.
Go pitched the rest of his 2025 season in the Tigers’ minor leagues and spent the early part of this season with their Triple-A team, the Toledo Mud Hens, before a trade to the Twins in exchange for cash.
And more time in the minors awaits Go following the latest transaction.
Yonhap
