NC Dinos foreign hitter Matt Davidson (34) will miss due to sudden symptoms of a back strain.

NC prepared lineup for the match against Hanwha in Daejeon on the 18th opposing sidearm starting pitcher Eom Sang-bak, including Park Min-woo (second baseman), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Son Ah-seop (right fielder), Oh Young-soo (designated hitter), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Seo Ho-cheol (first baseman), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), and Cheon Jae-hwan (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Logan Allen.

The foreign hitter Davidson, who has started all 16 games for NC this season, is out. Oh Young-soo filled the 4th batting order vacancy, and Seo Ho-cheol was brought in for first base.

NC Manager Lee Ho-jun noted during a pre-game interview regarding Davidson's exclusion from the lineup, “He suddenly developed a back strain today. He said he would have a hard time even as a pinch hitter, so he didn’t come to the ballpark at all. He went for a hospital check-up and decided to rest for a day,” confirming his absence.

Davidson, who re-signed with NC after becoming the KBO League home run king (46) last year, is currently batting .281 in 16 games this season (57 at-bats, 16 hits) with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and an OPS of .884. Though he has been inconsistent, he showed signs of recovery with a batting average of .384 over the last four games (13 at-bats, 4 hits), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.015.

Manager Lee said, “Since it’s the back, it would be better for him to rest than to move around, so I told him to relax in the hotel and watch TV,” and smiled, adding, “I think we’ll have to see how he feels after sleeping tonight. If it takes more than three days, we’ll need to change the roster. I’ll review it tomorrow morning and make a decision.”

Amid Davidson's absence, there was another lineup change during training. The position of center fielder, originally held by Choi Jeong-won at the 9th batting order, was changed to Cheon Jae-hwan before the lineup was submitted.

Regarding this, Manager Lee said, “During fielding, Cheon Jae-hwan was incredibly light on his feet. He visibly looked to be in good condition. He had a good rest, and I could see that he was feeling well, so I made the switch based on instinct. He had 2 hits in 4 at-bats against the opposing starter (Eom Sang-bak), so he has a decent record against him.”

Meanwhile, NC removed pitcher Kim Min-kyu from the first team roster the previous day (17th) and called up pitcher Bae Jae-hwan. This is Bae Jae-hwan's first registration to the first team this season after serving as a key setup man for NC with 20 holds in 2019 and 12 holds in 2020. Manager Lee stated, “He threw up to 151 km/h with the C team (Futures). I received recommendations that he is performing well in all areas, so we brought him up. The speed is returning to his prime level, and his control has improved,” adding, “Initially, I plan to use him when things are relaxed. If all goes well, he may be utilized in critical situations. I have high hopes for him.”

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