Last-place baseball club replaces American starter with Canadian right-hander

All News 10:03 June 10, 2019

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- The worst team in South Korean baseball this season has replaced an American starting pitcher with a Canadian right-hander.

The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Monday announced the acquisition of Brock Dykxhoorn, a day after placing Jake Thompson on waivers.

In this file photo from May 23, 2019, Brock Dykxhoorn, then of the SK Wyverns, throws a pitch against the LG Twins in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)

The Giants are Dykxhoorn's second KBO team this year. He was cut by the SK Wyverns last week, after the club signed hard-throwing righty Henry Sosa.

Dykxhoorn is 3-2 in 12 appearances with a 3.56 ERA this season, his first in the KBO. The Giants will cover the remainder of Dykxhoorn's US$600,000 salary.

Thompson went 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 11 games, and was dropped from the active roster on May 30 with a right arm injury.

The Giants are also contemplating cutting ties with infielder Carlos Asuaje, who's batting .252 with two home runs and 21 RBIs in 49 games.

The Giants are in last place in the 10-team league at 23-42, 12 games out of the final playoff spot. They have the KBO's worst pitching staff with a 5.66 ERA. They've also given up the most home runs with 63 and most walks with 287.