I hope Lee Seung-hyun gets his first win of the season here today.
Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man earnestly wished for left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-hyun's first win of the season.
Samsung is currently on an eight-game losing streak since their game against the Doosan Bears on the 3rd. Left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-hyun has not yet experienced the joy of victory this season. Ahead of the game against the Pohang KT Wiz on the 13th, manager Park Jin-man met with reporters and noted, “Lee Seung-hyun, today’s starter, has not been able to secure a victory, and I hope he gets his first win of the season here today.”
Initially, Won Tae-in was scheduled to pitch, but due to a stiff neck, Lee Seung-hyun is breaking the seal for the three-game series. Manager Park Jin-man said, “There is no problem as he did not have a high pitch count in his last outing.”
Samsung's starting lineup was composed of left fielder Gu Ja-wook, center fielder Kim Sung-yoon, third baseman Kim Young-woong, catcher Kang Min-ho, first baseman Lewin Diaz, designated hitter Park Byung-ho, second baseman Ryu Ji-hyeok, right fielder Lee Sung-kyu, and shortstop Lee Jae-hyun.
Manager Park Jin-man commented on Gu Ja-wook's batting order in the first position, saying, “This is a choice made considering various aspects. I hope through this lineup change, we can produce runs effectively.”
After briefly pausing due to a muscle strain, Kim Young-woong displayed impressive hitting since his return to the first team in the game against the Daegu LG Twins on the 11th, hitting a two-run home run. Manager Park Jin-man said, “Our lineup has gained some weight. Now we just need Kim Ji-chan to return.”
Kim Ji-chan, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury, was originally scheduled to participate in Futures games starting on the 13th; however, the club decided it was better for him to enter the active roster in a more complete condition. He is expected to participate in Futures games on the 16th and 17th, and if there are no issues, he will likely return to the first team on the 18th.
Manager Park Jin-man stated, “He will play as a designated hitter on the 16th and participate in outfield defense on the 17th. The earliest will be his return to the first team on the 18th.”
Samsung has made a complete overhaul of its coaching staff to revitalize the atmosphere. Choi Il-eon, who led the Futures team this season, will assist manager Park Jin-man as the first-team bench coach. Futures team pitching coach Park Seok-jin will take on the role of main pitching coach for the first team. Futures team hitting coach Park Han-i has moved to the first team as hitting coach.
On the other hand, Jeong Dae-hyun, the first-team bench coach, has been reassigned to the Futures manager, and Kang Young-sik, the pitching coach, has gone down to the Futures pitching coach. Baek Young-seob, the first-team hitting coach, has also joined the Futures team. Manager Park Jin-man noted, “This is part of the effort to escape the losing streak.”
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