Go Woo-suk surrenders home run in MLB debut for Minnesota
The Korean reliever became the 30th Korean to appear in the MLB, allowing a home run in his first inning for the Twins.
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Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Go Woo-suk delivers in his Major League debut against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 9.AP/YONHAP
Go Woo-suk has made his MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins, two and a half years after signing his first U.S. contract.
Go's first outing was not a clean one, however, as the Korean right-hander served up a home run in his team's 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Wearing No. 1 on his jersey, Go became the 30th Korean to appear in an MLB game when he took the mound to begin the top of the ninth inning, with the Twins trailing 4-2. He had joined the Twins via a trade by the Detroit Tigers earlier in the week.
Go retired Daniel Schneemann on a grounder to first baseman Royce Lewis for the first out. But then Go hung a slider over the heart of the plate against Patrick Bailey, who drove the pitch 384 feet into the seats in right field for a solo home run.
The ball left Bailey's bat at 103.1 miles per hour with a 39-degree launch angle.
Go regrouped to strike out Steven Kwan on a 3-2 splitter and win a 10-pitch battle. The reliever then got Travis Bazzana to ground out to Lewis to end his first MLB inning.
The Twins failed to rally in the bottom of the ninth, though Go did not factor into a decision.
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Go Woo-suk reacts after giving up a solo home run to Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey in his Major League debut against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning of a baseball game, on July 9.AP/YONHAP
Go left the LG Twins of the KBO to sign with the San Diego Padres in January 2024 after leading the Korean league with 139 saves from 2019 to 2023.
Go was dealt to the Miami Marlins in May 2024 without reaching MLB, and he made it to as high as Triple-A in the Marlins' system, too.
The Marlins released him in June 2025, and then the Tigers acquired him on a minor league deal later that same month. Go spent the rest of the 2025 campaign in Triple-A, going 1-0 with a 4.29 ERA in 14 games.
Go became a free agent in November and rejoined the Tigers on another minor league deal in December.
Go pitches in relief during the bottom of the sixth inning of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 14.YONHAP
Go represented Korea at the World Baseball Classic in March and performed well enough in the minors to force his way into the big league.
Go had a 2.60 ERA in 27 2/3 innings over 19 Triple-A outings before the recent trade. He rejected an offer from the LG Twins to return home in May so that he could keep pursuing his MLB dream.
The Minnesota Twins are looking to shore up their bullpen, as they are dead last among 30 MLB clubs in bullpen ERA with 5.28.
Go and his brother-in-law, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, are currently the only two active Korean players in MLB.
