He was demoted to the second team just one day after being called up to the first team. Lotte Giants infielder Park Seung-wook (33) was sent down to the second team after just one day.
Lotte made changes to the roster ahead of the game against the KIA Tigers on the 9th at Busan Sajik Stadium. Infielder Park Seung-wook and outfielder taxes were sent down to the second team, while infielder Choi Hang and pitcher Park Si-young were registered to the first team roster.
Park Seung-wook's removal from the first team is unexpected. This happened because he was registered just before the game on the 8th. After being called up for the game on the 8th, he immediately made his starting appearance. However, Park Seung-wook committed an error by letting a ground ball from Lee Woo-sung go past him in the second inning. In the seventh inning, he also missed a pop-up from lead-off hitter Kim Tae-gun, resulting in his second error.
In addition, he went hitless in two at-bats. This season, he has had 10 plate appearances with 9 at-bats and no hits. Displaying an unstable and listless performance both defensively and at the plate, Park Seung-wook was ultimately sent down to the second team again after just one day.
Park Seung-wook was the starting shortstop last year. He played in 139 games, recorded a batting average of .262 (106 hits in 405 at-bats), 7 home runs, 53 RBIs, 57 runs scored, and an OPS of .716, achieving a career-high season. He also earns an annual salary of 170 million won.
Most importantly, after this season, he will become a free agent (FA). He started his professional career in 2012 after being drafted in the third round, 31st overall, by the SK Wyverns. Although he was traded to the KT Wiz, he faced a crossroads in his career when he was released. However, he succeeded in reemployment after undergoing a test with Lotte, taking on a versatile backup role before becoming the starting shortstop.
Park Seung-wook, now in his 14th year as a professional, is receiving a life-changing opportunity following his rise to starting shortstop. However, the start of the FA season has not been smooth.
Meanwhile, Park Si-young, who was called up that day, received a chance for a comeback after rejoining Lotte following his release from KT last year. Park Si-young joined the team in the second round of the 2008 draft and was traded to the KT Wiz after the 2020 season. He played a key role in KT's championship-winning team in 2021, but his career took a downturn after suffering an elbow ligament injury in 2022, requiring surgery.
This year, he appeared in 5 games in the second team, recording 1 save and an earned run average of 1.50 (1 earned run in 6 innings) before getting called up to the first team.
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