KT Wiz pitcher Emmanuel De Jesus (29) will take a short break due to injury.
KT's manager Lee Kang-cheol said in an interview before the game against the NC Dinos at the 2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 10th, "I was worried about De Jesus, but fortunately, I think he will be fine after resting for about 2 to 3 days."
De Jesus is a left-handed ace who has recorded 14 wins and 12 losses with an earned run average of 3.40 in 34 KBO League games. He played for Kiwoom last season and transferred to KT this season. His season record stands at 1 win and 1 loss with an earned run average of 1.23 in 4 games (22 innings) so far.
On the 9th, when De Jesus pitched against NC, he recorded 3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 1 earned run before leaving the mound. He felt something unusual in his left thigh and was substituted for player protection. Manager Lee Kang-cheol stated, "This is an injury that has been ongoing since his time at Kiwoom. He has always had this injury, but yesterday he said he didn't feel good, so we made the substitution." KT explained, "De Jesus underwent examinations at two hospitals this morning, and it was determined he has a simple strain of the left adductor muscle."
"Originally, De Jesus was scheduled to pitch next Tuesday," manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "We may have to delay the pitching schedule a bit. For now, we will decide based on his physical condition. I cannot say when he will pitch now." He added, "If there is rain forecasted for Saturday, then it seems we can proceed without adjusting the rotation."
On this day, KT assembled a starting lineup of Mel Rojas Jr. (designated hitter), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kang Baek-ho (catcher), Kim Min-hyeok (left fielder), Hwang Jae-kyun (third baseman), Yoo Jun-kyu (right fielder), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), Jang Jun-won (shortstop), and Kwon Dong-jin (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Oh War-seok. Cheon Seong-ho was removed from the first-team roster, and Ahn Hyun-min was called up.
Starting catcher Jang Seong-woo will take a rest today. Instead, Kang Baek-ho will wear the catcher’s mask. Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "Jang Seong-woo has been struggling a lot. Since he said he is tired from being the designated hitter, we gave him a break. He has played all games except one so far, so he needs to rest." He continued, "Cheon Seong-ho has not had an opportunity to play, so he has been sent down to the second team. I feel sorry about that." Regarding Ahn Hyun-min, he noted, "He has a batted ball speed of 170 km
[OSEN]