I said I don't know the place I sat, but I know the place I am. The absence of the on-base king due to injury is becoming noticeable. The concerns over the LG Twins' top hitter continue. Since Hong Chang-ki was sidelined due to injury, LG's top hitter batting average has dropped to .145, the lowest in the league.
LG lost the league's top hitter, Hong Chang-ki, due to injury. Hong Chang-ki collided with a teammate while trying to catch a foul ball in the ninth inning during the game against the Kiwoom Heroes held at Jamsil Stadium on the 13th. Initial examinations after the injury did not show any ligament rupture, but he was diagnosed with a microfracture in the joint.
However, after the swelling and bleeding in the injured area subsided, a follow-up examination a week later revealed a diagnosis of a rupture of the medial collateral ligament in the knee. Hong Chang-ki underwent surgery and requires 4-5 months of rehabilitation. He is out for the season, but there is a possibility of returning for the postseason.
Hong Chang-ki has been the on-base king three times in the past four years, recording a batting average of .322 over that period. He has hit more than 170 hits three times. This year, he signed a contract worth 650 million won, setting the record for the highest salary in LG's history for a non-free agent.
After the irreplaceable Hong Chang-ki's absence, Park Hae-min took over as the top hitter. Park Hae-min played as the top hitter in the game against Kiwoom on the 14th, achieving 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs. However, afterward, in the first batting order, he managed only 2 hits in 21 at-bats. Park Hae-min recorded a batting average of .160 (4 hits in 25 at-bats) and an on-base percentage of .300 from the first spot.
As Park Hae-min, who had a batting average of .220 to .230, struggled in the first spot, Moon Sung-ju has been taking the lead as the first batter since the game against the Lotte Giants on the 21st. In the game against Lotte, which ended in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings on the 21st, Moon Sung-ju recorded no hits but earned 3 walks in 3 at-bats. In the game on the 22nd against Lotte, he recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats and 1 walk, marking 3 times on base consecutively over two games. However, in the following five games, he had only 2 hits in 20 at-bats (batting average of .100) and 2 walks. Moon Sung-ju is also recording a batting average of .148 (4 hits in 27 at-bats) and an on-base percentage of .303 from the first spot.
After Hong Chang-ki's injury, LG's top hitter batting average is .145 (8 hits in 55 at-bats), the lowest among the ten teams. The NC Dinos are in ninth place with a batting average of .196. Fortunately, LG's first batter has an on-base percentage of .288, ranking eighth among the ten teams. There is little difference from the ninth-place Hanwha (.276) and tenth-place SSG (.250).
Hong Chang-ki, who struggled until April, had a batting average of .368 and an on-base percentage of .489 in the 10 games just before his injury, indicating that the performance of his replacement is even more contrasting.
In the game against Hanwha held at Jamsil Stadium on the 28th, Moon Sung-ju, as the top hitter, struck out swinging in the first inning. In the fourth inning, leading off, he made an out with a ground ball to the shortstop, after which Kim Hyun-soo hit a solo home run.
In the sixth inning, Lee Young-bin, batting ninth, hit a solo home run, bringing the score to 2-4, and Moon Sung-ju was out with a ground ball to the first baseman. Afterwards, Kim Hyun-soo hit a double down the left field line. In the eighth inning, with the score tied at 4-4, he finally reached base with a single to center field. He was substituted for a pinch runner, Choi Won-young, at first base. He finished with 1 hit in 4 at-bats. Moon Sung-ju still has many regrets as a first batter.
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