Hanwha Eagles' Ahn Chi-hong has finally returned to the first team.
Hanwha will face the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium on the 28th. On this day, Hanwha called up Ahn Chi-hong and Kim Seung-il to the first team and sent down Kim In-hwan and Kim Jong-soo to the second team. Ahn Chi-hong, who struggled with a batting average of .098 before being demoted to the second team in early May, is making his return to the first team after 23 days. Ahn Chi-hong will start as the designated hitter in the 7th spot.
On this day, Hanwha's starting lineup consists of Floriel (center fielder), Ha Ju-suk (shortstop), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Roh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Lee Jin-young (right fielder), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Choi Jae-hun (catcher), and Hwang Young-mook (second baseman).
Manager Kim Kyung-moon noted before the game at Jamsil Stadium regarding Ahn Chi-hong's return, "It's a bit late, but Chi-hong will be batting 7th today, and if he gradually returns to his position, the team will improve, won't it?"
Ahn Chi-hong needs to regain his hitting sense and rise in the batting order for Hanwha's offensive power to improve. Manager Kim said, "Right now, Ju-seok is doing well in the 2nd spot, and since Ju-seok is batting there as a shortstop, if he feels that his bat speed is slowing down and he is getting tired, it would be better to push him back a bit and have Chi-hong come up in front."
Ahn Chi-hong experienced discomfort early in the season after opening, and in early May, he also suffered from wrist pain, which left him struggling with his batting. He recorded a batting average of .098 with 5 hits in 51 at-bats and 5 RBIs in 16 games and was removed from the first team roster on the 6th.
Recently, Ahn Chi-hong played in the Futures League to improve his game sense. He participated in an exhibition match against the Japanese SoftBank Hawks' 3rd team held at Seosan Stadium from the 23rd to the 25th. He recorded no hits in 3 at-bats with 2 walks on the 23rd, no hits in 4 at-bats on the 24th, and on the 25th, he had 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats, gradually improving his batting.
On the 27th, Ahn Chi-hong started at first base in the Futures League game against the Goyang Heroes, achieving 2 hits, including a home run, in 3 at-bats with 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 walk. After the game on the 27th, he joined the first team, which is on an away trip to Seoul, and will play in the return game today.
[OSEN]