The South Korean national baseball team has advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but will have to compete with only 29 players after pitcher Son Joo-young was unable to travel to Miami due to elbow pain. Despite looking for a replacement, the team was unsuccessful as former candidate Riley O'Brien declined the opportunity to join. Head coach Ryu Ji-hyun confirmed that O'Brien expressed a desire to join the team but ultimately decided against it due to his physical condition.

O'Brien was initially selected as the relief pitcher for the final roster but was excluded in mid-February due to calf pain. Although he participated in spring training games, his recent performance was subpar, raising concerns about his readiness for the tournament. With O'Brien's involvement off the table, South Korea will have to rely solely on the remaining players for the quarter-finals, with Ryu admitting that realistically it was difficult to call up another player from the domestic league in Korea.

This absence puts more pressure on the remaining left-handed pitchers, as only Ryoo Hyun-jin, Song Seung-ki, and Kim Young-kyu are available for the crucial matches. Ryu emphasized the importance of Ryoo Hyun-jin, given that the team already lacked experienced left-handed options, and stated, despite the challenges, he would trust the players' current fitness to perform well in the quarter-finals, embodying a spirit of unity and determination even in Son's absence.