The Samsung Lions made changes to their first-team roster ahead of the second game of the season against the Lotte Giants on the 19th.
The Lions removed left-handed pitchers Lee Seung-hyun and Lim Chang-min, as well as outfielder Yoon Jeong-bin, from the first-team roster and called up pitchers Yook Sun-yeop and Kim Dae-ho, along with outfielder Kim Jae-hyeok.
Left-hander Lee Seung-hyun made his start against Lotte in Daegu on the 18th, posting 5 innings with 9 hits allowed (2 home runs), 5 strikeouts, and 7 earned runs, suffering his fourth loss of the season. Ahead of the game on the 19th, manager Park Jin-man met with reporters and noted regarding Lee's removal from the first-team roster, "The pitching content and stuff were not bad yesterday. I think he needs to rest, so he was removed from the roster."
Lim Chang-min, who has shown poor performance this season with an average ERA of 5.87 over 8 games, is in need of recovery due to a bad condition in his right elbow. Yoon Jeong-bin has been struggling recently, hitting 2 hits out of 13 at-bats with a batting average of .154 and 1 run scored in the last 10 games.
Manager Park Jin-man stated about Yook Sun-yeop, "He is rated as the best among right-handed pitchers in Futures."
Foreign pitcher Denny Reyes is sidelined due to symptoms of inflammation in his right shoulder, and right-hander Kim Dae-ho is set to make his start in the game on the 19th.
Kim Dae-ho, who joined as a developmental player last year, is a prospect the team is nurturing as a starting pitcher. He has consistently received starting instruction in the Futures league.
He made one appearance in a first-team game this season but did not get the win. On March 27, he played against the NC Dinos, throwing 3⅔ innings with 6 hits allowed (1 home run), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs (3 of which were earned) resulting in a loss. Manager Park Jin-man said, "It's important to get through the early innings well. I hope he can handle the lineup for one turn effectively."
Right-hander Yang Chang-seob pitched 2 scoreless innings in the game on the 18th. In response, manager Park Jin-man said, "He returned after completing his military service and lacks real-game experience, but his pitching yesterday was the best among this season's outings. If he performs like yesterday, he will be a help to the bullpen."
Kim Young-woong, who has been struggling with his batting recently, will be named in the starting lineup. Manager Park Jin-man remarked, "Kim Young-woong has had good results at home. I hope he can deliver a hit."
"Small Giant" Kim Ji-chan, who had a brief pause due to a hamstring injury, is set to return to the first-team roster ahead of the game on the 20th. Manager Park Jin-man expressed that a player like Kim Ji-chan, who plays a dynamic style of baseball, is needed for the lineup, emphasizing the expectation of disrupting the opponent with mobility.
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