Foreign pitcher Denny Reyes, who left the Samsung Lions due to a microfracture in his right foot, visited Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 15th before the match against the Daegu KT Wiz to say farewell to the team.
Reyes debuted in the KBO League last year, posting an 11-4 record with an earned run average of 3.81 in 26 games. He especially shone on the autumn stage, performing brilliantly. In the postseason, he allowed only one earned run over 20⅔ innings in three games, achieving a perfect record of 3-0 with an earned run average of 0.45.
Following his regular season performance, he helped lead Samsung to the Korean Series by securing two victories against LG in the playoffs. He was the only winning pitcher in the Korean Series, where Samsung lost to the KIA Tigers with a record of 1-4.
Samsung re-signed Reyes for a total of $1.2 million, which includes a signing bonus of $200,000, a salary of $700,000, and incentives of $300,000.
Reyes, who returned early due to a right foot injury during the second camp in Okinawa, joined the first team late. He recorded 4 wins, 3 losses, and an earned run average of 4.14 in 10 games during the regular season.
Reyes's right foot injury recurred during the game against the NC Dinos on the 7th (3 innings, 6 hits, 1 home run allowed, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, 4 earned runs). A diagnosis of a microfatigue fracture was confirmed through examinations. On the 14th, Samsung requested a waiver announcement for Reyes to the KBO, which was accepted and subsequently announced on its website.
Reyes, who was forced to leave the team due to an unexpected injury, expressed his gratitude, saying, "I appreciate all the fans who supported me in every game and sent so much love to me and my family. I had a great experience last year and enjoyed every moment I pitched. Everything that happened here has been happy and an honor."
Manager Park Jin-man also expressed his disappointment. He said, "I said goodbye to Reyes, and he seemed visibly disappointed. We exchanged farewells, filled with regret."
He added, "I am also quite disappointed. He showed great performance last year, and he had prepared diligently during the camp, but it's regrettable that this unfortunate situation occurred due to injury."
Meanwhile, Reyes is scheduled to leave Korea on the morning of the 17th.
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