Slumping pitcher Lee Eui-lee dropped from Korean baseball team
Kia Tigers starter Lee Eui-lee pitches against the Lotte Giants during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, June 4. Yonhap
Korean pitcher Lee Eui-lee, struggling to regain his early-season form while dealing with finger issues, was dropped from the country's Asian Games team Friday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the governing body of professional baseball overseeing national team operations, announced that Lee, left-handed starter for the Kia Tigers, will no longer be part of the squad for the Hangzhou Asiad.
Lee missed a dozen days earlier this month with a blister on his finger and was shelled in his return to action Thursday, allowing five runs on two hits, two walks and one hit-by-pitch in only 1 1/3 innings against the LG Twins.
In three September starts, Lee has gone 0-1 with an 11.42 ERA. The wild pitcher has walked 10 batters in just 8 2/3 innings this month, compared with just five walks in 21 innings in August.
This May 12, 2021 file photo shows Lee Eui-lee of the Kia Tigers throwing a pitch against the LG Twins during a Korea Baseball Organization match held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju. Yonhap
For the season, the third-year pro has a 10-7 record with a career-worst 4.47 ERA through 24 starts. He has struck out 133 batters in 108 2/3 innings but has also issued a career-high 80 walks.
"As he is recovering from his finger issues, we have decided he will not be able to pitch at a high level during the Asian Games," the KBO said in a statement, adding that manager Ryu Joong-il will sit down with his staff to determine Lee's replacement at a later date.
Korea previously replaced two other injured players, with Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo and NC Dinos pitcher Koo Chang-mo getting dropped in favor of Samsung Lions outfielder Kim Seong-yoon and Dinos pitcher Kim Young-kyu.
The national team will hold its first practice Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. It will play a scrimmage Tuesday and then fly to Hangzhou two days later.
Korea is gunning for its fourth baseball gold medal in a row. (Yonhap)