Doosan Bears starter Wes Benjamin pitches against the Lotte Giants during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in the southeastern city of Busan, April 21. Yonhap

At first, pitcher Wes Benjamin wasn't aware of a new pathway for foreign players to land in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

Since last year, KBO teams have been allowed to sign short-term replacements for injured foreign players who are expected to miss at least six weeks. Several teams have made use of that rule to fill their roster holes. Someone like Benjamin, who already has a track record of recent success in the KBO, can be especially valuable. And the Doosan Bears acquired him earlier this month when their Opening Day starter, Chris Flexen, suffered a shoulder injury.

Benjamin, who went 31-18 with a 3.74 ERA in 74 starts for the KT Wiz from 2022 to 2024, is thankful for another go-around in South Korea, despite the inherent uncertainty of his contract.

"I didn't know this was going to be an option for me until my agent called and said I had the ability to come here. I was just glad to be able to work my way back into the KBO however I could," Benjamin told Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "I don't know what my future holds, but all I know is if this is a time and place for me to showcase what I can do, then I'm going to make the most of it as best I can."

Benjamin, 32, has rewarded the Bears with two solid starts. He threw 4 2/3 shutout innings against the Lotte Giants to mark his KBO return on April 21 and then held the LG Twins to three runs over seven innings on Sunday.

The American left-hander didn't get a decision for himself in either outing but the Bears won both games, which suits Benjamin just fine. The pitcher said his single-minded focus on the team goal helps him stay present and not worry too much about what will happen after his deal expires May 19.

"My whole game plan is to just go out and be able to hand the ball to the bullpen in a position to win the game," Benjamin said. "If you simplify everything down to just having that be your goal, everything else goes away and that's all my focus is on right now: just giving our team a chance to win regardless of wherever I am."

Doosan Bears starter Wes Benjamin, right, bumps fists with his catcher Yang Eui-ji before leaving the mound during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in the southeastern city of Busan, April 21. Yonhap

After his first KBO stint, Benjamin, who pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2020 and 2021 wasn't able to make it back to Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the San Diego Padres before the 2025 season but instead spent the year with their Triple-A club, the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Source: Korea Times News