Doosan’s Brandon Waddell has arrived in South Korea and is excited to return to the KBO.

Brandon arrived in Korea on the 16th. On the 17th, he joined the Doosan team training to prepare for his pitch against Kiwoom on the 24th. He changed his number to 48 instead of the 57 he wore last year. Yang Chan-yeol is wearing No. 57 this year, so he chose No. 48, which was worn by Lee Hyun-seung before his retirement.

Brandon said through the organization, “I’m very excited to wear the Doosan Bears uniform again. I will try to play better than last year. I’m in great shape and ready to go. I’m ready to play right away,” he said, expressing both excitement and confidence.

Despite playing only 11 games last year, he has fond memories of his time with Doosan. That’s why he was happy to answer the call when Doosan reached out to him again. “I missed the fans and all my teammates. The goal is clear. I came back to the KBO because I wanted more than just fall baseball. I will do my best to reach the postseason and advance to the Korean Series.”

Brandon joined the Doosan organization last year as a replacement for Ariel Miranda and went 5-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 games. Doosan reacquired Brandon from Taiwan after Dylan Pyle failed to perform as expected due to injury and poor performance. Waddell spent the first 15 days with the Rakuten Monkeys before arriving in Korea on the 16th.

After training at Jamsil Stadium on the 17th and 18th, he will leave for Japan on the night of the 18th to go through the process of obtaining a work visa. He is scheduled to return home on the 24th, and Doosan will help him adjust his condition by playing catch in Japan.

Coach Lee Seung-yeop said, “(Brandon) will join the team, train and get a visa in Japan. He will pitch on the 24th (against Gocheok Kiwoom). He’s been rotating in Taiwan until yesterday (the 15th), so he’ll have about a week off. I don’t have any problems with my physical condition, but I’ve been traveling a lot, so that’s what I decided.”안전놀이터

The team also hopes that Brandon’s addition will bring synergy to the bullpen and offense, as well as the starting lineup. “We can’t go through the season with only five starters. We need a backup plan, and we’ve exhausted that plan. We didn’t have enough depth in the rotation, so the outgoing players couldn’t play comfortably. I think pitchers and hitters will be better when Brandon comes and the rotation is filled. Next week (when Brandon joins) is important.”