Professional baseball LG Twins pitcher Choi Chae-hung survived in the first team roster as a bullpen player after a successful substitute starting appearance.

Choi Chae-hung started against the Doosan Bears on the 7th at Jamsil Stadium, pitching 4 innings (57 pitches) with 3 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.

He got off to a clean start by retiring the side in the first inning and threw 49 pitches with only 1 hit allowed, maintaining a scoreless appearance until the fourth inning. With a 2-0 lead, he issued a walk to the leadoff hitter Yang Seok-hwan in the fifth inning, and was replaced after allowing a first-pitch infield hit to Oh Myeong-jin and a first-pitch RBI double to Kang Seung-ho. Veteran Kim Jin-sung, who came in with no outs and runners on second and third, flawlessly prevented any inherited runners from scoring, finishing the game with 1 earned run.

It was a successful substitute starting appearance. LG's foreign pitcher Hernandez was placed on the minimum six-week injured list with a thigh muscle injury. Previously, Kim Ju-on (1/3 inning, 4 walks, 1 earned run) and Lee Ji-kang (3 innings, 8 hits, 6 earned runs) failed in their substitute starting opportunities and were sent down to the second team.

However, Choi Chae-hung remained in the first team after his substitute starting appearance. LG did not make any changes to its first team roster on the 8th. Initially, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop had said that Choi Chae-hung would be sent down to the second team after his start, but he changed his mind to observe him a little longer.

Choi Chae-hung was traded to LG as a compensatory player for Choi Won-tae, who signed a maximum 7 billion won free agent contract with Samsung last December. After the start of this season, he recorded 1 win and 1 loss with an earned run average of 9.64 over 3 games in the Futures League. In the first 2 games, he was hit hard, allowing 4 earned runs in 2⅓ innings and 5 earned runs in 2 innings, but pitched well against Samsung's second team on the 25th, throwing 5 innings with 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.

Given the 9 consecutive games, starting pitcher Son Joo-young was given additional rest due to elbow tightness, which provided an opportunity for Choi Chae-hung to start. He delivered a successful performance in his first appearance in the first team and his LG debut. Manager Yeom ordered Choi Chae-hung to pitch like 'left-handed Im Chan-kyu.'

Choi Chae-hung recorded a maximum fastball speed of 142 km/h and an average of 139 km/h in the game against Doosan. He relied more on breaking balls with 18 fastballs, 22 sliders, 11 curves, and 6 changeups, skillfully managing speed variations and control. He focused on a changeup in the 120 km/h range, slow curves between 104-117 km/h, and sliders between 126-136 km/h, showcasing excellent pitching.

LG operates with 14 pitchers in its roster. There was only one left-handed bullpen pitcher, Lee Woo-chan, but it seems that Choi Chae-hung will remain as a left-handed bullpen option. By bringing Choi as a compensatory player, manager Yeom noted he would utilize both starting and bullpen roles.

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