KBO-leading Twins sign Wynne as temporary replacement for injured Hernandez

This photo provided by the LG Twins, Monday, shows Australian pitcher Coen Wynne working out with the Twins during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. Newsis

The LG Twins announced Monday they have signed Australian pitcher Coen Wynne as a short-term replacement for injured starter Elieser Hernandez.

Wynne, 26, signed for $11,000.

Hernandez hit the sidelines last week with a right adductor injury that the Twins said would require at least six weeks in recovery time alone. He suffered the injury during the Twins' combined no-hitter of the Samsung Lions last Tuesday.

In 2024, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) began allowing teams to acquire temporary replacements for foreign players who sustain injuries that keep them out for at least six weeks.

The SSG Landers took advantage of that rule on Sunday as they signed Ryan McBroom to fill in for outfielder Guillermo Hernandez.

Wynne played college ball in the United States but does not have any major league experience. He has spent the past three seasons with the Sydney Blue Sox in the Australian Baseball League (ABL), where he was coached by a former Twins pitcher Chris Oxspring.

In the 2024-2025 ABL season, Wynne went 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 15 outings, including two starts. He had 32 strikeouts against seven walks in 38 1/3 innings.

The Twins added Wynne worked out with them for two weeks during spring training in Arizona in February, which they said should make his transition to the KBO smooth. The Twins got an early look at Wynne as a potential candidate to fill their Asian quota, which will take effect next year.

Wynne is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Thursday.

The Twins are leading the KBO with an 18-5-0 (wins-losses-ties) record, five games better than the Hanwha Eagles. The Twins have the second-lowest team ERA with 2.96 and their starting pitchers have the exact same ERA, which also puts the team in second place in the league.