Seoul: The LG Twins announced Sunday they've signed a new starting pitcher, Anders Tolhurst. Tolhurst, 25, will replace Elieser Hernandez, who went 4-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 starts this season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Twins signed Tolhurst for US$370,000 for the rest of the season, including a buyout of $100,000. The American right-hander had split the 2025 season in Double-A and Triple-A in the Toronto Blue Jays system. The Blue Jays selected him in the 23rd round of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, and Tolhurst has yet to pitch in MLB. He reached Triple-A for the first time this year, putting up a 4-5 record in 16 appearances -- including 14 starts -- with a 4.67 ERA over 71 1/3 innings.

The Twins expressed confidence in Tolhurst's potential, noting his deep arsenal of pitches and good command. "He has taken a major step forward lately, and we expect him to settle in quickly and be the pitcher that we want him to be," the Twins said.

The decision to release Hernandez marks the end of his stint with the Twins, which began in the middle of last season. In 25 combined regular-season outings over these two seasons, Hernandez went 7-6 with a save and a 4.14 ERA. He left a significant mark in the postseason in 2024, delivering 11 shutout innings in relief across two series.

Despite re-signing Hernandez for 2025 at $1.1 million, with incentives potentially increasing the total by $200,000, his performance was hindered by a thigh injury that caused him to miss more than a month of action this season. Hernandez made his final KBO outing Saturday, striking out a season-high nine batters in six innings of one-run ball against the Samsung Lions. However, this effort wasn't enough to retain his position as the Twins aim for a regular-season title.

Currently riding a five-game winning streak, the Twins stand in second place at 60-40-2 (wins-losses-ties), trailing the Hanwha Eagles by just half a game.