Seoul: The Hanwha Eagles announced Sunday they have cut ties with starting pitcher Wilkel Hernandez. In his first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, Hernandez went 3-6 with a 4.92 ERA in 16 starts.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Venezuelan right-hander, who was the Eagles' Opening Day starter on March 28, stumbled out of the gate, posting a 5.72 ERA over his first six starts through April. He showed improvement in May with a 2.70 ERA over four starts, striking out 20 batters in 20 innings. However, Hernandez was unable to maintain this form in the subsequent months of June and July.
Hernandez's struggles continued as he was pulled after just 1 1/3 innings on July 4. On Saturday, during his first start after the All-Star break, he was automatically ejected for hitting an opposing batter, Matt Davidson of the Kiwoom Heroes, in the head with a fastball in the first inning.
The Eagles had signed Hernandez and another foreign pitcher, Owen White, during the offseason to replace their top two starters from a season ago, Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss, who both signed with major league clubs. While White has managed a 5-5 record with a 3.09 ERA, Hernandez did not meet the team's expectations.
The Eagles have lost all three games following the midseason break, and with a record of 40-43-2 (wins-losses-ties), they trail the Doosan Bears by 3 1/2 games for the fifth and final postseason spot. Last year, the Eagles were the runners-up to the LG Twins in the Korean Series.