Seoul: The LG Twins announced Wednesday that their starting pitcher Yonny Chirinos will be sidelined for at least a month due to an elbow injury. This development comes just before a home game against the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb revealed that Chirinos received an injection in his right elbow earlier that day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Venezuelan pitcher, who was the Twins' Opening Day starter in both 2025 and 2026, had a strong performance last season with a 13-6 record and a 3.31 ERA in 30 starts. However, this season he has struggled, posting a 6.75 ERA and a 1-2 record over four starts. Chirinos had shown signs of improvement recently, allowing only two runs in 10 innings over his last two starts.
Manager Youm noted that the elbow trouble was not the cause of Chirinos' early struggles this season, as the pitcher only began experiencing pain after a bullpen session on Monday. "He played catch Tuesday and said he didn't think he'd be able to pitch this week," Youm stated, explaining the decision to sideline Chirinos. The team initially considered skipping a turn in the rotation without removing Chirinos from the roster, but the severity of the issue led to a different decision.
Previously, Chirinos received an elbow injection last summer but managed to continue playing with minimal missed time. In the current situation, Youm announced that the Twins will have a bullpen day on Thursday, with reliever Yi Jung-yong set to start the game.
The team is also contemplating whether to sign a temporary injury replacement for Chirinos or release him to acquire a new pitcher for the rest of the season. The KBO allows teams to sign foreign players on short-term contracts if incumbents are expected to be out for at least six weeks. This season, four of the league's 10 teams have already utilized this rule.
"Our front office always moves quickly in situations like this," Youm said. "I understand we have several options on the table."