Eric Yokishi (35), the slugger for the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), who are in the midst of a tough five-way battle, has joined the team and met with the players.
Yokishi, who NC signed after releasing Daniel Castano, arrived at Incheon International Airport on March 3. On the afternoon of the 4th, he met with the team at the Changwon NC Park indoor weight room.
“I’m happy to meet my teammates,” Yokishi said. It’s even better to see some familiar faces from my time in the KBO.” “I’m here to help the team, so I will contribute to the victory. I will do my best to help NC reach the postseason,” he said.
Yokishi played five seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes from 2019 to 2023, compiling a record of 56-36 with a 2.85 ERA in 130 games. Yokishi’s career in Korea was cut short last year after he suffered a left adductor tear during the season.
However, Yokishi never gave up his dream of returning to the KBO.
When the Doosan Bears needed a temporary replacement for Brandon Waddell’s shoulder injury, he was eager to reach out to the organization. 파워볼게임 Yokishi agreed to a tryout at Icheon Bears Park. However, Doosan did not sign Yokishi, instead signing Keisho Shirakawa, who was claimed off waivers by SSG Landers, but NC moved quickly after seeing Yokishi’s physical condition. “We considered several candidates, including Yokishi, and decided that Yokishi was the best player who could come to Korea the fastest in the current foreign market. We cross-checked various aspects of Yokishi’s physical condition and made our decision. Yokishi is a proven resource in the KBO and has a lot of experience, and his game management is based on his steady delivery. He also has good ground ball induction and strikeout ability, and we expect him to be a great addition to the team,” explained the team.
NC released Daniel Castano, their first starter this year, after he failed to meet expectations. In fact, he did. He went 8-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 19 games. But he was up and down over the summer, and he was a risk for a full-time starting job, and he was sidelined in mid-May with elbow fatigue.
After a strong start to the season, NC has been on a downward spiral ever since. Without Castano to help them along the way, their results have fallen even further. They are in seventh place with 48 wins, 51 losses, 2 draws, and a .485 winning percentage. They are 1.5 games behind fifth-place SSG. NC needed a winner, and they chose Yokishi. Could Yokishi be the hidden card to lead NC’s fall baseball?
