Minnesota Twins Reliever Go Woo-suk Demoted to Minors After Poor Outing

Minnesota Twins reliever Go Woo-suk has been sent down to the minors after enduring the worst outing of his young major league career this week.

Go was roughed up for three runs on four hits, including a home run, in one inning of work against the Cleveland Guardians, as the Twins suffered a 13-4 loss at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday (local time).

Go had thrown one shutout inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, when he escaped a bases-loaded jam. Then he took the mound to begin the bottom of the seventh inning Monday with the Twins down 10-3, pitching on back-to-back days for the first time since making his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Twins on July 9.

Things went awry from the get-go, as Go surrendered a solo home run to Patrick Bailey, who drilled a 0-1 fastball and sent it 408 feet to center field.

Both of the two home runs Go has given up in MLB have come off Bailey's bat.

After the dinger, Go gave up doubles to Petey Halpin and Kyle Manzardo to put runners at second and third. Go struck out Travis Bazzana swinging on a 2-2 curveball, but then served up a double to Chase DeLauter that cashed in both runners.

Go got his second strikeout of the inning against Brayan Rocchio, who was called out on a 2-2 fastball at the knees. The South Korean pitcher then retired Rhys Hoskins on a flyout to center to end the inning.

Go finished with a season-high 24 pitches, 17 of them strikes. He had thrown 23 pitches the previous day.

After the game, the Twins optioned Go to their Triple-A affiliate, St. Paul Saints, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Go had spent the early part of this season in Triple-A for the Detroit Tigers, who traded the pitcher to the Twins on July 5 for cash. The Twins put him on their major league roster on July 7, and Go pitched in his first MLB game two days later.

However, after pitching to a 9.00 ERA over four innings while giving up eight hits -- five of them for extra-bases -- Go will land back in the minor leagues.

With the Tigers' Triple-A club, the Toledo Mud Hens, Go went 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 19 outings covering 27 2/3 innings, along with 32 strikeouts and 11 walks. He did not surrender any home runs there.

Go's demotion leaves two South Koreans in MLB -- San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, who is Go's brother-in-law, and San Diego Padres infielder Song Sung-mun.

On Monday, Lee batted 1-for-4 and scored a run in a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. He is batting .303, the seventh-best mark in MLB.

Song, a big league rookie, followed his first career three-hit game with a 0-for-3 night against the Atlanta Braves, who prevailed 3-2 at Truist Field in Atlanta. Song is batting .231 in 45 games.