Professional baseball LG Twins pitcher Jang Hyun-sik's game appearance was postponed due to spring rain.

Jang Hyun-sik was scheduled to pitch in the 2025 Futures League game against Doosan's second team at Doosan Bears Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 16th. However, the game was canceled due to rain. The LG-Doosan game was the only one canceled among the five Futures League games.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop noted on the 15th regarding Jang Hyun-sik's return schedule, "He will pitch for the second team on Sunday, and next Tuesday in the final game of the exhibition series. If the pitching performance in the exhibition is good, he will go directly into the opening game."

However, Jang Hyun-sik planned to pitch one inning against Doosan's second team on the 16th, but that plan fell through. He had to compensate with live pitching instead. Jang Hyun-sik threw 20 pitches that day.

Jang Hyun-sik will make his first game appearance on the 18th in an exhibition game against NC at Jamsil Stadium. After a day off, he will pitch against SSG's second team in the Futures League on the 20th in Ganghwa for final checks.

After reviewing Jang Hyun-sik's pitching on the 18th and 20th, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop will decide whether to include him in the opening day roster. If Jang Hyun-sik's fastball velocity is around 145 km/h, he could handle the closing duties from the opening game. If the fastball velocity remains in the low 140s, he will need to improve his form further in the second team.

After applying for free agent status at the end of last year's Korean Series, Jang Hyun-sik signed a contract with LG for 4 years and 5.2 billion won. LG prioritized bolstering their bullpen during the offseason and contracted Jang Hyun-sik on a fully guaranteed 5.2 billion won deal.

Jang Hyun-sik, who was drafted as the overall 9th pick in the first round by NC in 2013, was traded from NC to KIA during the 2020 season. He recorded 34 holds in the 2021 season and won the Holds King award. Last year, he appeared in 75 games (75⅓ innings) with a record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and 16 holds while maintaining an earned run average of 3.94, contributing to KIA's overall championship.

Jang Hyun-sik has been designated as the closer for this season. LG's former closer Yoo Yong-chan sustained an elbow injury after participating in the Premier 12 national team in November last year and has undergone surgery. He is preparing for a return in the second half of this year.

However, Jang Hyun-sik sprained his ankle in mid-February at the Arizona camp in the United States. He underwent an X-ray examination at a local hospital in the U.S., which indicated that "there was no abnormality in the bones." Jang Hyun-sik returned home early and received an MRI and detailed examination, where he was diagnosed with a partial ligament tear on the outer side of his right foot. A recovery period of 4 weeks was anticipated, and his return is imminent after rehabilitation.

[OSEN = Han Yong-seob reporter]