Gwangju: The Kia Tigers’ pursuit of a postseason berth faced a setback on Tuesday as their leading pitcher, James Naile, was sidelined from a scheduled game due to arm fatigue. Naile, a prominent American right-hander, was initially slated to pitch against the Hanwha Eagles at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, located 270 kilometers south of Seoul. The responsibility now falls on rookie pitcher Kim Tae-hyeong to take the mound.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Naile reported experiencing heaviness in his right arm following a recent practice session. The Tigers are set to reassess his condition on Wednesday before making any decisions regarding his next appearance. Naile last pitched against the Samsung Lions the previous Wednesday.

A representative from the Tigers confirmed that Naile’s situation does not warrant additional medical tests, stating, “We expect him to rejoin the rotation after taking some time off.” The Tigers are in a race against time to clinch a top-five spot and secure a place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. As of Tuesday, they were positioned in eighth place with a record of 61-66-4 (wins-losses-ties), trailing three games behind the final postseason entry.

Naile ranks third in the KBO with an ERA of 2.25 over 164 1/3 innings, holding an 8-4 record. In the previous year, he led the league in ERA with a 2.53 over 149 1/3 innings. Despite missing the last month of the 2024 regular season due to an injury from a line drive, Naile made a comeback to aid the Tigers in securing the Korean Series title in October.