“I have a promise with you…”

Kiwoom Heroes manager Hong Won-ki said before the match against the Lotte Giants on the 16th, noting, “These days, this player is hot.” He was referring to the foreign hitter Yasiel Puig. Due to Puig's poor performance, manager Hong Won-ki has no choice but to let out a bitter laugh.

Puig returned to the Kiwoom uniform for the first time in three years since the 2022 season. Once a promising player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Puig gained much attention for both his skills and antics in Major League Baseball. He made a surprise signing with Kiwoom in 2022, recording a batting average of .277 (131 hits in 473 at-bats), 21 home runs, 73 RBIs, and an OPS of .841 over 126 games. He also contributed to the team's journey in the Korean Series.

Since then, he continued his career in Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, and this year, he signed a $1 million contract with Kiwoom, returning to the Korean stage.

However, Puig is currently posting below-expectation results. After hitting two hits in four at-bats against LG on the 8th, he has managed only a batting average of .08 (2 hits in 25 at-bats) from the game against LG on the 9th to the match against Lotte on the 15th.

Manager Hong Won-ki mentioned before the game on the 16th, “Puig is not able to connect on scoring opportunities right now, causing the batting lineup to break down.” He added, “There was a promise made during the camp. He said, ‘I will get going from early in the season.’ However, he has not been able to keep that promise yet. I believe he will be able to fulfill his role someday. We must trust and wait.”

However, on that day, manager Hong Won-ki showed a degree of impatience. Puig retreated hopelessly from his first at-bat in the second inning, trailing 0-1. Coincidentally, a walk from Cardines and a single by Park Joo-hong set up a first and third base opportunity for Puig.

Puig swung and missed at the first-pitch changeup from Lotte starter Barnes. He took a ball on the second pitch, but fouled off the third pitch, a fastball. The count then stood at one ball and two strikes. Ultimately, he swung and missed at a slider on the inside and retreated. As Puig failed to deliver, relegated behind him were Ahn Jun-seo and Kim Keon-hee, who both struck out, leaving Kiwoom without an opportunity to tie the game.

In the fifth inning, he came up as the leadoff hitter. However, the outcome was no different. He took balls on the first and second pitches but fouled off the third pitch, a high fastball, and again fouled off the fourth pitch, a low changeup. The count reached two balls and two strikes, and Puig swung and missed at another inside slider, retreating once again. Puig's at-bats would not return.

Now, his batting average over the last seven games has dropped to .074 (2 hits in 27 at-bats). He is currently amidst a hitless streak of 10 at-bats. Kiwoom is the only team among the 10 that is using two foreign hitters. The offensive power of foreign hitters must be the driving force for the season.

Cardines, who joined alongside Puig, faced concerns due to a controversy over a lack of effort following an injury last year, but he has been performing well as a central batter for Kiwoom. He is currently batting .327 over 15 games (17 hits in 52 at-bats) with 3 home runs, 18 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.025. Notably, he dominates with a batting average of .500 in scoring positioning.

However, Puig is currently unable to perform even at a single player’s level. His recent silence has left his season statistics at a batting average of .217 (18 hits in 83 at-bats), 3 home runs, and 11 RBIs over 21 games. He ranks 10th among 11 foreign hitters across the ten teams. Just how much time does Puig have left? Can Kiwoom continue to wait for him?

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