Hanwha Eagles of professional baseball faced a major setback as two pitchers left the team due to injury.
Hanwha said on the 1st, "Player White was diagnosed with a left hamstring muscle tear based on today's MRI examination and is expected to be removed from the roster today. Rehabilitation is expected to take more than six weeks. Player Eom Sang-baek also experienced pain in his right elbow during today's training and is expected to be removed from the roster," it said.
White started as the starting pitcher in his KBO debut in the home game against the KT Wiz in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Park on the 31st, but injured his thigh during a defensive play and recorded 2⅓ innings, four hits, one walk, two strikeouts and one run, throwing only 57 pitches before leaving the mound.
In the top of the third with no outs and runners on first and second, White induced a grounder to Hilliard. First baseman Chae Eun-seong threw to the shortstop for the force out, and White moved to cover first to attempt a double play. The throw was somewhat short; White, who had split his legs to field, complained of pain. White was eventually replaced and limped into the dugout.
Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "This is a situation the team did not want to see. It seems they are looking for replacement players, and until that is decided we have to make do with the players we have," and added with regret, "Since yesterday afternoon when I saw Ponce get injured, a string of bad luck has occurred."
Cody Ponce, the 'KBO MVP' who led Hanwha to the Korean Series for the first time in 19 years last year, moved to the United States and put on the uniform of the Toronto Blue Jays. Ponce started his first appearance of the season as a starter for his five-year return, but while trying to field a ball in the third inning his knee twisted and he collapsed; MRI examination diagnosed a right anterior cruciate ligament sprain.
Kim said of Eom Sang-baek, who was out with elbow pain that day, "He must be very upset. He worked hard since last year's finishing camp, and when the team needs him he gets injured, so the team feels a bit down," but added, "He didn't get injured on purpose, so I hope he returns quickly."
With an emergency situation like White's and with Eom Sang-baek out as well after being considered for a spot as an emergency starter and long reliever, it became more difficult for Hanwha to manage the rest of the season. Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "There are players among those available now who we are thinking of starting, but we'll have to wait and see before I can say anything."
Meanwhile, on the same day pitchers Kang Jae-min and infielder Choi Yoo-bin were also removed from the first-team roster along with White and Eom Sang-baek, and starter Ryu Hyun-jin, Park Sang-won, Park Jae-gyu and rookie Kang Gun-woo were registered to the first-team roster. Both Park Jae-gyu and Kang Gun-woo were registered to the first team for the first time in their careers.<
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