“It was good. It exceeded expectations.”
Youm Kyoung-youb, the manager of the professional baseball team LG Twins, welcomed the performance of foreign pitcher Elieser Hernandez, who returned to the first team mound after 45 days.
Hernandez, who was sidelined due to pain in his right thigh, played his comeback game against the Samsung Lions on the 30th. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 1 earned run (unearned). His top speed reached 151 km, mixing various pitches, including curve, slider, changeup, cut fastball, and two-seam fastball.
Ahead of the home game against Samsung on the 31st, manager Youm Kyoung-youb met with reporters and said, “It was good. It exceeded expectations. I corrected the part where my arm dropped while pitching during rehabilitation,” showing a satisfied reaction.
With Hernandez's healthy return, Im Chan-kyu (8 wins), who is tied for the lead in wins, along with Yonny Chirinos, Son Ju-yeong (both with 6 wins), Song Seung-gi (5 wins), the complete starting rotation has been established.
Manager Youm Kyoung-youb noted, “What has kept us going so far has been the strength of the starting rotation. The batting lineup has not really exploded either.”
LG has structured its starting lineup with center fielder Park Hae-min, left fielder Kim Hyun-soo, designated hitter Austin Dean, catcher Park Dong-won, shortstop Oh Ji-hwan, right fielder Moon Sung-ju, third baseman Gu Bon-hyeok, and first baseman Lee Young-bin, with Yonny Chirinos making the start.
Moon Bo-gyeong needs to manage his condition and will start from the bench. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb said, “Many players among the fielders are suffering from minor injuries. We cannot afford to have any more injured players,” and added, “I am grateful that Park Hae-min and Kim Hyun-soo have endured without mentioning they are hurt.”
The return of key pitcher Yoo Young-chan is welcome news. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated, “He will definitely pitch tomorrow (June 1). With Yoo Young-chan joining, there will be more flexibility in the operation of the key bullpen, and the probability of winning will increase.”
Choi Chae-hung, a left-handed pitcher who was the compensation player for Choi Won-tae, who transferred to Samsung, started on the 31st in a Futures game against Doosan, pitching 7⅔ innings with 4 hits (2 home runs), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs. This marks his second win of the season. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated, “He is the first candidate for a replacement starter if there is a gap in the rotation.”
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