[EPN Enpinow - Reporter Yoon Dong-geun] The KIA Tigers signed Aderlin Rodríguez to a short-term contract to replace Harold Castro, who is sidelined with an injury.
The club agreed to a six-week deal worth $50,000 (approximately 66,666,667 KRW), and Rodríguez is set to join the team on the 5th.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound infielder from the Caribbean bats and throws right-handed.
Over three Triple-A seasons, he appeared in 236 games, collecting 258 hits, 60 home runs and 204 RBIs while posting a .296 batting average and a .939 OPS.
He was named Triple-A MVP in 2021 after hitting .290 with 29 homers and 94 RBIs.
In Japan’s NPB, Rodríguez spent two seasons with the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers, appearing in 83 games with 52 hits, eight home runs and 34 RBIs, and he hit .202 with a .606 OPS.
Last season in the Mexican League with Bravos de León, he hit .352 with 16 homers and 31 RBIs in 32 games.
After moving to Toros de Tijuana, he continued to produce, finishing with 19 homers and 65 RBIs in 54 games.
He also led the Mexican League in home runs in the 2025 season.
With raw power, an aggressive swing and strong extra-base ability, Rodríguez is expected to anchor KIA’s middle of the lineup.
Scouts compare his batting stance and approach to Korea’s top sluggers Park Byung-ho and Choi Jeong.
The club expects Rodríguez’s arrival to revitalize the offense and improve its ability to convert scoring opportunities.
Photo: KIA Tigers
