Korean American pitcher Riley O'Brien (30, St. Louis Cardinals) pitched a fastball at 159 km/h during the exhibition games and maintained a scoreless streak, but was demoted to the minor leagues.

On the 16th, St. Louis sent right-handed pitcher O'Brien down to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds with a minor option. Currently, there are 44 players remaining in St. Louis spring training, and they must finalize a roster of 26 before the start on the 28th.

O'Brien pitched in relief in all three exhibition games, throwing 3 innings with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 6 Samjin while maintaining a scoreless streak. In his first appearance on the 23rd against the Miami Marlins, he allowed 1 walk but struck out 3, pitching without allowing a hit and remaining scoreless.

Following that, on the 27th against the Yankees, O'Brien pitched at a top speed of 99.2 mph (159.6 km/h), finishing with 1 inning, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, and no runs. In the game against the Mets on the 15th, he had 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout, remaining scoreless. He showed his effectiveness with a top speed of 98.9 mph (159.2 km/h) and an average of 97.8 mph (157.4 km/h) on his sinker.

Despite showing competitive performance in the exhibition games with strong pitching, O'Brien will unfortunately start the season in Triple-A. St. Louis has a bullpen that includes All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, along with Matthew Liberatore, Jon King, JoJo Romero, Kyle Leahy, Chris Lojcroft, and Ryan Fernandez.

O'Brien was competing for the last spot in the bullpen roster but was affected by the acquisition of a free agent. On the 13th, St. Louis signed Free Agent Mayton for 2 million dollars over one year. Right-handed pitcher Mayton is a veteran reliever with 19 wins, 15 losses, 2 saves, and 64 holds in 415 career games (411 innings) with an earned run average of 4.16, having struck out 458 batters.

Although his chance to be on the opening roster was dashed, St. Louis's bullpen is not particularly strong. For O'Brien, it seems an opportunity will come quickly if he prepares well in Triple-A.

Born to an American father and a Korean mother, O'Brien uses the Korean name "Jun-young" as his middle name. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 8th round, 229th overall, in the 2017 draft, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in August 2020. He made his major league debut after being called up at the end of September 2021.

After being designated for assignment in April 2022, O'Brien was traded to the Seattle Mariners, where he spent a long time in the minor leagues until 2023 after appearing in one game that May. Although opportunities were limited due to Seattle's strong pitching staff, he was traded to St. Louis in November 2023 and received a chance as he joined the 40-man roster. Although he was included in last year's opening roster, he was placed on the injured list due to a right forearm strain after pitching in the opening game.

After a four-month rehabilitation, O'Brien returned to the minor leagues and in Triple-A, he excelled with 1 win, 1 save, and an earned run average of 1.35 over 14 games (13⅓ innings) before being called up again at the end of August. His overall performance in the big leagues last year was not good, with an earned run average of 11.25 over 8 games (8 innings), but it was a year that showed potential.

O'Brien is also a candidate who could be selected for the Korean baseball team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) next March. The WBC allows representatives from a country if at least one parent has heritage from that nation, regardless of nationality. Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Tommy Edman also played for the Korean team in the 2023 WBC, becoming the first mixed-race player to represent Korea.

Next year's WBC will be crucial for Korea to restore its national competitiveness, as they are monitoring not only Korean players in Major League Baseball but also the status of Korean American players. Depending on how O'Brien performs this season, his chances of making the roster for next year's WBC will be determined.

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