Lotte Giants new foreign pitcher Aaron Wilkerson is close to making his KBO debut.
“Wilkerson will start against Doosan on the 26th,” Lotte manager Larry Sutton said ahead of the Giants’ ninth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League season against the Doosan Bears on the 25th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. As scheduled, the Bears will face Doosan on the 25th, followed by Na Kyun-ahn on the 26th, Wilkerson on the 27th, and Charlie Barnes on the 28th.
Wilkerson, who was called up to replace Dan Straily at the start of the second half of the season, was signed for a total of $350,000. Wilkerson made his debut as an amateur free agent with the Boston Red Sox in 2014 and has since appeared in 14 games in the big leagues and 158 games in the minors. His minor league record is 58-31 with a 3.42 ERA in 783⅔ innings pitched, and Wilkerson has also had some experience in Asia, playing for the Hanshin Tigers of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) last year.
At the time of the signing announcement, Lotte said, “Wilkerson’s fastball movement and changeup are strong, and his adaptability to Asian baseball through his experience in the NPB was highly valued.” “I am looking forward to playing in the Korean Baseball Organization because I have adapted well to Asian culture through my experience in the Japanese professional league. I will try to win as many games as possible to contribute to the team’s championship.”안전놀이터
Wilkerson had a live pitching session at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan last week during a three-game weekend series against the Kiwoom Heroes, and after receiving a passing grade, he was scheduled to make his KBO debut. Lotte expects him to throw between 70 and 85 pitches in his first start.
Sutton said, “We’ll see how the game goes, but we’re thinking between 70 and 85 pitches. “We’ll see how the game goes, but we’re thinking between 70 and 85 (pitches),” Sutton said. “If he comes off the mound after six innings and he’s feeling good and he’s not throwing a lot of pitches, we’ll have a conversation about it.” He left the door open for more innings.