Baseball’s Doosan Bears foreign pitcher Raul Alcantara (32) is returning to Korea after undergoing a medical examination in the United States for an elbow injury.
In an interview before the game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yup said, “Alcantara confirmed that he received the same diagnosis as expected at a Korean hospital. We plan to return home tomorrow and decide on a specific time for his return.”
Alcantara is a veteran foreign pitcher with a career record of 45-23 with a 3.00 ERA in 94 games (594⅔ innings) in the KBO. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2021 and 2022 before returning to Doosan in 2023. This season, he has been just as good, going 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA in five games (31⅓ innings).
Alcantara, 스포츠토토 who has been Doosan’s ace, hasn’t pitched since his last start against Kiwoom on March 21, when he pitched seven innings of four-hit ball with one walk and two strikeouts, when he suddenly felt discomfort in his elbow. A hospital in Korea diagnosed a simple sprain in his right elbow and told him that he did not need surgery, but Alcantara insisted on having his elbow checked by a doctor in the United States.
After traveling to the United States,
Alcantara was examined by a primary care physician in Texas in the early morning hours of August 8, and was diagnosed with a simple right elbow sprain, the same diagnosis as the Korean medical team. The sprain is a minor injury that doesn’t require surgery, which means Alcantara will likely be able to return to the field quickly if he’s willing. After a medical examination, Alcantara will return to South Korea immediately.
Coach Lee Seung-yup said, “I think Alcantara needs to talk to the training department to set up a schedule. We need to hear from the player himself first. The timing of his return is up to him,” Lee said, emphasizing that Alcantara’s willingness to return is the most important thing.
Doosan is fourth in the league in starting ERA (4.50) this season. However, despite playing the most games in the league (39), Doosan ranks sixth in the league in innings pitched (188) and tied for fourth in the league in quality starts (six innings of three earned runs or less) (13). This is largely due to the fact that foreign-born pitcher Brandon Waddell was briefly sidelined with an injury and only returned to the lineup on April 1, and Alcantara still has no timetable for his return.
The lack of innings from the starters has put the burden on the bullpen.
Lee Byung-hyun (22 games) has the most appearances in the league, Choi Ji-gang (20) is tied for third in the league, and Park Chi-guk (19) is tied for 10th. Closer Hong Gun-hee pitched three consecutive games from Feb. 2-4. “Lee Byung-heon, Hong Gun-hee, and Choi Ji-gang-i all had three days off, including yesterday,” Lee said. We’re trying to manage them as much as we can,” Lee said, discussing the difficulties of managing the bullpen.
In the end, the most obvious solution is for the starters to go long innings. Aside from Brand and Kwak-Bin, there is no other reliable pitcher in the Doosan lineup, 온라인 슬롯 which makes Alcantara’s healthy return all the more important. “We don’t know when Alcantara will return, but when he does, our pitching depth will be more solid. If we can hold on a little longer until then, I think we will be in an atmosphere where we can hit once when Alcantara comes back,” said Lee, who is looking forward to Alcantara’s return.