On the 3rd (KST), LG officials gathered in large numbers in the bullpen of the baseball field at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the LG Twins are holding spring training.
In addition to pitching coaches and battery coaches to guide bullpen pitching, there were more employees than usual from the data analysis team and operations team. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop also took his seat early.
A foreign pitcher wearing number 34 took the bullpen mound. It was Dietrick Enns, whom LG signed for $1 million. Many people gathered to watch Enns pitch his first bullpen game.
Enns was paired with catcher Kim Sung-woo and started pitching. He threw mostly fastballs and gradually worked on his changeup. He alternated between a slider and a cutter, followed by a big changeup and a curve.
Yeom stood next to the catcher and watched Enns pitch, nodding his head repeatedly in approval. “He seemed to have prepared well for the homework I gave him. He also practiced his changeup a lot and it got better.”
Pitching coach Kim Kyung-tae said to Enns after he finished pitching out of the bullpen, “I think he practiced his changeup a lot. He didn’t throw it as hard today as he did in the video, but I can see a difference.” He continued, “His arm speed has improved.
“His arm speed is better. The curve was falling all the way to the bell,” and “I was wondering if you were throwing your slider with a sweeper grip, because the movement of the ball was like a sweeper.” In response, Enns talked about the variation in his slider, cutter, and curve.
After throwing 30 pitches, Enns said, “Today was my first bullpen pitch in a Twins uniform, and I felt good overall. I’d give myself an 85 based on how I felt today. There are some things I need to work on, but overall I’m happy.”
“I think my strengths are throwing a lot of strikes at a high tempo to give hitters an advantage,” Enns said.
LG signed Enns last December for a total of $1 million ($300,000 signing bonus, $600,000 salary, $100,000 incentive). The team parted ways with Plutko and signed Enns as its new foreign pitcher.
Enns was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 19th round of the 2012 draft, and his major league debut came after he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in July 2017. He appeared in two 안전 토토사이트 games (four innings, three earned runs) that year, posting a 6.75 ERA.
He then spent time in the minors with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays. He returned to the big leagues in 2021 with Tampa Bay. He appeared in nine games (22⅓ innings) out of the bullpen, posting a 2-2 record with two saves and a 2.82 ERA.
In 11 major league games, he was 2-0 with two saves and a 3.40 ERA. In the minor leagues, he has a 55-40 record with three saves and a 3.32 ERA in 185 games (739 innings).
Starting in 2022, Enns spent two years with the Seibu Lions of Japan, going 11-17 with a 3.62 ERA in 35 games. In 2022, he appeared in 23 games (122⅓ innings) and went 10-7 with a 2.94 ERA, but struggled last year, going 1-10 with a 5.17 ERA in 12 games. It will be interesting to see if he can regain his form in the LG.