Domestic medical staff found that there was no problem with his physical condition, but the player continued to have difficulty pitching. The basis provided by the player is the opinion of medical staff in his home country of the United States, but the club is not convinced by this situation itself. Will Adam Plutko be able to challenge for the championship with LG for the first time in 29 years? 안전놀이터

LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop met with reporters ahead of the Doosan game on the 29th and reported the news of Plutko’s season out. Coach Yeom said, “Plutko will not be able to appear for the remainder of the regular season. He says he finds it difficult to throw. “Plutko is a player whose body is the most important,” he said. “After the Chuseok holiday, I plan to conduct an accurate examination again in Korea to make a judgment.” 

Plutko served as LG’s ace in the first half of the year, replacing the underperforming Casey Kelly. Continuing the momentum of last year’s 15 wins (5 losses), he appeared in 17 games in the first half of this year and became the center of the starting lineup with 11 wins, 1 loss, and an average ERA of 2.21. If limited to the first half of the year, he was 2nd in most wins and 3rd in ERA. His performance was as good as that of Eric Peddie (NC), Raul Alcantara (Doosan), and Wes Benjamin (KT), who are called good sons.

Plutko suffered from cold symptoms after the Suwon KT game on July 25, his first appearance in the second half of the season, but was confirmed to have COVID-19 and took a break for a while. Afterwards, he returned in mid-August and took charge of the Daegu Samsung game on the 15th, the Incheon SSG game on the 20th, and the Changwon NC game on the 26th, but came off the mound after 4 innings in the game on the 26th, and was diagnosed with a left pelvic bone bruise as a result of a hospital examination.

After recovering, Plutko performed bullpen pitching at Jamsil Stadium on September 23. The goal was to return to the Suwon KT match on October 2nd. At the time, Coach Yeom said, “Looking at the bullpen pitching, there is no problem at all. He announced that Plutko’s return was imminent, saying, “I can throw tomorrow.” However, in the end, Plutko himself was not confident in his physical condition, and his return game was postponed, and his final season out was confirmed on the 29th. 

Plutko is hesitant to pitch based on the diagnosis results of his doctor in the United States, not Korea. Director Yeom said, “Plutco always seems to send examination data to the United States. When he was initially injured, the local diagnosis was given for 5 weeks, but the period was extended after a domestic examination. “He said it was okay in the country,” he said. “I had enough to say.” Now it’s up to you to decide. He says he can’t throw, but we can’t make him throw. “After the holidays, the final decision will be made through an accurate examination at the club’s designated hospital,” he said emphatically. 

Coach Yeom’s “final decision” is whether Plutko will join the postseason entry. Director Yeom said, “After the examination, I will test my will. As a result of his domestic examination, it was found that there was no problem, but he is looking into the United States and making a decision. “I can’t force it,” he said. “We also have to prepare now. It must be notified who is the starter and who is in the middle. There is a huge difference between planning and preparing in advance and just preparing. “We need to decide what to do with fall baseball after the season ends so players can properly prepare without being confused,” he explained. 

In the worst case, LG is considering a situation where it will have to play the postseason without Plutco. The best scenario is that next week’s checkup shows no abnormalities, and Plutko accepts this and prepares for fall baseball, but considering his actions since last year, a plan in which he continues to refuse to pitch can never be ruled out. 

Director Yeom said, “I didn’t think Plutco listened to me 100%. There is a story so far. I wanted to change the story. I wanted to make Plutko feel responsible as a member of the team. “That’s why he moved,” he said. “They say I can’t throw, so what should I do?” He can’t do it. He is his own life. “It is up to his will,” he said.

LG General Manager Cha Myeong-seok, who met at the site the day before, also said, “They say it’s okay in our country, but why are they saying it’s not allowed?” “He expressed his frustration. 

LG, which reduced the magic number of first place in the regular season to 6 for the first time in 29 years, will now challenge to advance directly to the Korean Series with one foreign pitcher due to Plutko’s departure. Of course, it seems possible to take first place with the current starting lineup, but the story will be different if we head to the best-of-seven Korean series. Two foreign pitchers must provide a one-two punch to increase the odds of a long-awaited combined championship. LG is not a team with a strong native starting lineup.

Attention is already focused on the results of Plutco’s detailed hospital examination next week.