baseball club-pitcher

▲ Hanwha Eagles starter Burch Smith pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 1, 2023, in this photo provided by the Eagles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Hanwha Eagles starter Burch Smith pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 1, 2023, in this photo provided by the Eagles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

baseball club-pitcher

KBO club Eagles release injured pitcher Smith

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- The Hanwha Eagles have cut bait on injured pitcher Burch Smith after one abbreviated start.

Prior to their game Wednesday evening, the Eagles said they asked the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to place the American right-hander on waivers.

"We will find a new foreign pitcher as quickly as possible," the Eagles said.

Smith's first KBO season lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He started against the Kiwoom Heroes on April 1, the first day of the season, but took himself out of the game after facing only 12 batters with right shoulder pain.

He was later diagnosed with a muscle strain in the shoulder, and the Eagles decided to go in another direction instead of waiting on the 33-year-old pitcher.

Smith, who previously pitched in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in December. His deal was worth up to US$1 million, the maximum amount allowed for first-year foreign players in the KBO.

KBO clubs are each allowed to sign up to three foreign players, but no more than two pitchers. Felix Pena is the other foreign pitcher for the Eagles.

Through Wednesday's action, the Eagles ranked ninth among 10 teams at 5-9-1 (wins-losses-ties). They finished in last place in each of the past three seasons.

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