The professional baseball Hanwha Eagles called up two players as a special entry for the season's first doubleheader. Ahead of the first game of the doubleheader against SSG in Daejeon on the 17th, catcher Heo In-seo (22) and infielder Kwon Kwang-min (28) have been promoted.
Typically, the two special entries for a doubleheader consist of a pitcher and a catcher. Since there are two games in one day, the consumption of pitchers is significant, and managing the endurance of catchers is necessary. Although the registration of catcher Heo In-seo was expected, the inclusion of Kwon Kwang-min, who is a resource for first base, is a bit unexpected.
There was a reason. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted in a pre-game interview, “(Chae) Eun-seong said he is fine, but he has some discomfort in his leg, so he will serve as the designated hitter. If (Kim) Tae-yeon does well, that’s good, but if it doesn’t work, there won't be a player to play first base, so I called up (Kwon) Kwang-min, a player who worked hard during spring training.”
Kwon Kwang-min made the opening roster but was sent down to the second team after recording no hits in three at-bats over three games. In the Futures League, he has a batting average of .231 (12 hits in 52 at-bats) with one home run and six RBIs over 17 games.
Manager Kim said, “I will distribute players' stamina according to the results of today’s games. I plan to use them all evenly,” adding that he will do his best to minimize the burden of playing two games in one day.
No Si-hwan, who has started in all 43 games this season as a third baseman, is expected to start both games that day. However, manager Kim said, “I plan to save Eun-seong for this three-day period and think about managing (No) Si-hwan by also using him as a designated hitter in the next turn.”
Hanwha lined up as follows for the first game against SSG's left-handed starter Kim Kwang-hyun: Kim Tae-yeon (first base), Esteban Florial (center field), Moon Hyun-bin (left field), No Si-hwan (third base), Chae Eun-seong (designated hitter), Lee Jin-young (right field), YIDO (shortstop), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Hwang Young-mook (second base). The starting pitcher is Cody Ponce.
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