Doosan Bears pitcher Cole Irvin throws a live batting practice at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on June 4, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Doosan Bears starter Cole Irvin on Wednesday threw his first live batting practice since his recent minor league demotion, as he tries to put his season back on the right track.
On paper, Irvin is not on the Bears’ active roster after the team sent him down to their Futures League affiliate last Friday. Per rules in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), a player demoted to the minor league must spend a minimum 10 days away from the big club.
However, Irvin has been traveling with the Bears for the past handful of days, according to a team official. Then on Wednesday, before the team’s official batting practice at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Irvin faced a few of his teammates for a live batting practice.
Irvin, a veteran of 134 games in Major League Baseball (MLB), signed with the Bears last November amid high expectations. He was immediately anointed the Bears’ No. 1 starter and pitched in the season opener March 22.
Irvin, though, has not yet lived up to his hype in the KBO, going 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 12 starts, including a 1-3 mark and a 6.57 ERA in May. He has allowed more walks than any pitcher this season, with 35 in 67 1/3 innings.
The Bears sent him down a day after Irvin gave up seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings against the KT Wiz.
Irvin declined to talk to Yonhap News Agency after throwing about 50 pitches on the mound and 20 pitches in a separate bullpen session. But the Bears pitching coach Kim Ji-yong gave a glowing report on Irvin’s sessions.
“If he pitches like this during games, he will be just fine. There will be no problems whatsoever,” Kim said. “He threw every pitch in his arsenal, and we tried to make sure he would stay in his rhythm. I think he looked really steady out there, and he told me he felt pretty good afterward.”
Kim said Irvin didn’t have any issues with his velocity or mechanics even during his struggles, and the problem might have been between his ears.
“He is a perfectionist,” Kim said. “He once told me he might have been rushing things on the mound.”
The coach said Irvin will continue to stay with the Bears over the next week or so.
(Yonhap)
