“I’m fine.”
It was a sudden injury that surprised even Eric Peddie (30, NC Dinos). Peddy was pitching out of the bullpen on Thursday against the Changwon Doosan Bears. He went through a routine before his start against the Changwon Doosan Bears on the 15th, and that’s when it happened. Peddie felt discomfort in his forearm and decided to go to the hospital for a checkup instead of pitching in the bullpen.
Both Pedi and NC manager Kang Myung-hwa, who heard the news, couldn’t help but panic. Kang had planned to remove starter Lee Yong-jun from the first team roster and add pitcher Shin Min-hyuk, but suddenly found himself in a situation where he had to remove Pedi. Kang canceled all of his earlier plans and finalized the roster changes by removing only Pedi from the first team roster.
At around 4:30 p.m., Pedi prepared to go to the hospital with club officials. He explained to the officials that he was “fine” and reassured them that the injury was not serious.안전놀이터
Kang will wait to hear the results of Pedi’s medical examination before deciding on a timetable for his return. While Pedi is an irreplaceable ace right now, there’s no need to rush things.
“It’s hard to say when he’ll be able to return,” Kang said. “I’m a little confused,” Kang said, “because Pedi needs a break, too. I was thinking a lot about when to give him a break because he needs it too. I hope it’s not a major injury. I don’t think (the break) will be long.”
Pedi made his KBO debut this year and immediately established himself as a top-notch ace. In 12 starts, he went 10-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 72⅓ innings pitched. Before the first half of the season is over, he’s already on pace to lead the league in wins with 10, and his ERA is tops in the league.
NC selected Pedi as a replacement ace after it became clear that they would be parting ways with established ace Drew Ruchinski (34, Oakland Athletics) before the season. The highest contract for a first-year foreign pitcher in the KBO was $1 million, and he showed promise. With a fastball that topped out at 153 kilometers per hour and a variety of pitches, including a two-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and changeup, Peddie stood out for his reliable delivery. The fact that he was a five-star starter in 2019, when the Washington National League won the World Series, also raised expectations.
Before his injury, Pedi had never let NC down. His ability to quickly adapt to the team has completely erased any trace of Luchinski. The team is desperately hoping that Pedi will be able to return after just 10 days of rest. While it’s impossible to find a new ace that can completely replace Pedi, the team needs the rest of the team to hold up for at least 10 days to continue fighting for the top spot. For now, Kang is looking at Shin Min-hyuk as the No. 1 option to fill Pedi’s void.