"Forgotten Name" Brandon Waddell (aged 30, Doosan Bears) did not return to his home country of the U.S. Brandon is preparing to become Doosan's fall joker at Jamsil Stadium. 토토사이트

An official from the Doosan Bears of professional baseball, who met at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 20th, said, "Brandon went to Jamsil Stadium to play in the postseason and is doing a rehabilitation program." 

Brandon started in the first game of the Daegu Samsung Lions doubleheader on June 23 and voluntarily stepped down with one run left in two innings. After giving up a walk to leadoff hitter Kang Min-ho in the bottom of the third inning with a 1-0 lead, he sent a signal to the bench while dealing with the follow-up hitter Jeon Byung-woo, and after checking his condition with the trainer, he handed over the baton to Lee Young-ha.

Brandon was injured in the lower left shoulder region after a thorough examination at the hospital. Given that he needs to undergo rehabilitation for at least six weeks, Doosan recruited Keisho Shirakawa, a Japanese pitcher who played for the SSG Landers, as a short-term substitute. 

Contrary to expectations, however, Brandon's condition did not improve. As recently as August 3 when the first bullpen session was held, he was expected to return to September, but all schedules were suspended due to complaints of shoulder pain. As a result, Doosan extended his contract with Shirakawa for 15 days on August 21, and Shirakawa also left for his home country of Japan on August 27 with two wins, three losses and an ERA of 6.03 left in seven games due to right elbow pain. All of these were unfavorable factors for Brandon due to his unexpected long-term rehabilitation. 

Coach Lee Seung-yeop formed the starting rotation with Brandon completely removed from his mind after Shirakawa left. Asked about Brandon's recent status on the 7th, he nailed it, saying, "Brandon is still not in a state where he can throw the ball. Forget it." 

Three months have passed since he was injured. Where and what is Brandon doing right now? According to a Doosan official, Brandon has not returned to his native America but remains in Doosan for rehabilitation. He went to work at Jamsil Stadium and is exercising to return to the postseason. Recently, he was able to see Brandon walking in the hallway of Jamsil Stadium with a bright look on his face. 

However, Brandon is still a "rehabilitation player" rather than 100 percent physically fit, and to be honest, even if he builds up in October, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to play a key role in starting the team as the actual game is very long. However, he is very determined to throw balls to the players, and if Brandon throws an inning from the back door, Doosan will be able to manage big games more easily. 

"Brandon is undergoing rehabilitation in time for the start of the fall baseball season. There is a possibility that he could return sooner than this," a Doosan official said. "If he doesn't feel comfortable, he wants to help his team even for an inning." 

Brandon had seven wins, four losses and an earned run average of 3.12 in 14 games before the injury. When Raul Alcantara was sluggish, he pitched as the first starter and served as the team's ace. Head coaches from multiple pitchers in the KBO League were so powerful that they were counted as one of the best foreign pitchers. 

The key is Brandon's physical condition. The player's willingness to return to the ground should lead to improvement in his shoulder condition and return to the mound, but none of them has been decided so far. Prospects cannot be hasty, either. One thing is clear, however, that Brandon's smooth rehabilitation is quite welcome news for Doosan, which lacks starters and left-handed bullpen.