St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy throws live batting practice during a spring training baseball workout in Fla. U.S., Saturday. AP-Yonhap
St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien was cut from the Korean national team for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC) on Thursday due to a calf injury, the latest blow to a team already short on pitching.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Thursday it asked the tournament organizers to allow Korea to replace O'Brien with Doosan Bears closer Kim Taek-yeon.
O'Brien, who has a Korean mother and an American father, was one of four U.S.-born players of Korean descent to make the Korean roster for the March 5-17 WBC. The tournament allows players to represent the country of birth of one of their parents, even if those players themselves weren't born in that country.
Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun had already named O'Brien as his closer and had planned to use the 31-year-old right-hander in high-leverage spots in late innings.
However, O'Brien suffered a mild right calf strain during a live bullpen session Saturday at the Cardinals' spring training site in Jupiter, Florida, and has not thrown off a mound since.
Korea will play Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei and Czechia in Pool C at Tokyo Dome.
O'Brien enjoyed his best big league season in 2025, when he posted a career-best 2.06 ERA in 42 games while recording six saves.
In a message relayed by the KBO, O'Brien said his recovery from the calf issues had gone more slowly than he had hoped.
"This selection meant a lot to me and my family. My family has already made travel plans to watch me play," O'Brien said. "I would love to be there myself, but I have to prioritize my health for the upcoming season. I wish the Korean national team all the best, and I hope to have another opportunity to represent the country."
Source: Korea Times News
