"We must run tirelessly."

KIA Tigers outfielder Choi Won-jun (28) returned to the first team after a ten-day adjustment period on the 15th. He played as the 9th right fielder in the game against the Lotte Giants. In his first at-bat in the 3rd inning, he hit a strong ball from Na Gyeon-an for a single in front of the left fielder. After hitting second base due to a wild pitch, he successfully stole third base. When Oh Seon-woo hit, he scored to tie the game at 1-1. The aggressive baserunning that changed the momentum led to a big inning with five runs.

In the second game of the doubleheader against the Doosan Bears on the 17th, the team secured victory with defense and batting. He started as the 2nd right fielder, selected a walk in the first inning, and scored the opening run when Choi Hyung-woo hit a double to left-center field. In a tense 1-1 game in the 3rd inning, when Oh Seon-woo reached base with a single to right, he hit a two-run homer off Doosan's starter Hong Min-kyu's specialty changeup. It was a homer that came 32 days after the game against KT on April 15.

An impressive moment was the bullet throw that prevented a turnaround. It was during the defense in the top of the 2nd inning, allowing a homer to Yang Seok-hwan and tying the game. With two outs and a runner on second, Jo Soo-haeng's hit rolled toward Choi Won-jun. To prevent the scoring of the runner on second base, he caught the ball with his rapid movements and made a bullet throw. He easily tagged out the runner Kim Ki-yeon. It was once a moment worthy of being the top in assists.

Definitely, his batting and running have changed through the second team's reorganization. As he struggled mightily with a batting slump since the opening, Manager Lee Beom-ho gave him time. During the ten days, he refreshed his skills, mentality, and resolve. "I thought it was necessary to go down to the second team for reorganization rather than just staying in the first team. The manager gave me that time at a good moment. It became a valuable time for me," he said.

Specifically, he explained, "My batting mechanics had collapsed a lot. I changed it significantly to the feeling I had during my military service. I altered my technique to see the ball well and hit effectively. I shifted towards producing stronger batted balls rather than just contact. It worked well in the second team, and I improved my swing to achieve greater batted ball speed in the first team."

The results were his single in the first at-bat upon his return on the 15th and the homer on the 17th. "Originally, I would hit weakly and many balls were caught. I was also using my hands a lot. Now, I can swing well with my weight centered. Even after two strikes, I can still swing. The homer came from hitting a changeup early, which I anticipated would be caught, but it went over. It seems that what I prepared worked well," he explained.

An example of Choi Won-jun's mindset was his aggressive baserunning that motivated his teammates. As a runner on first base, he continuously attempted steals, shaking up the battery. In the first game of the doubleheader on the 17th, Kim Gyu-seong made a daring steal of third base, and with Yang Eui-ji's wild throw, they scored a valuable additional run. All the baserunners rushed with full effort. This injected vitality into the team's offense, contributing to their streak of three consecutive wins upon his return.

"During the ten days, I watched the first team games on TV and thought that the team's offense had become quite stagnant. There are many players who can run, and several who need to move more tirelessly. I felt that even stealing a base was stagnant. I thought that if I could show my running ability in the first team, the team would also start to be revived. I'm glad that it worked out well. It's fortunate that we won three in a row. There are still many games left. The team and I can make a comeback," he indicated with confidence.

[OSEN]