The professional baseball LG Twins will see a strong bullpen reinforcements return in mid-June. Lee Jung-yong, who is playing in the Military Baseball Team, is the main player.

On the 31st, Lee Jung-yong took the mound as a starting pitcher in a game against the 2025 Futures League SSG Landers held at the Mungyeong Sports Complex. He delivered a perfect performance with 2 innings (28 pitches), no hits, no walks, 1 Samjin, and no runs.

Lee Jung-yong got the first batter, Kim Chang-pyeong, out on a fly ball to left field with 2 strikes in the first inning. He struck out foreign hitter Eredia, who was on a rehab assignment, with a 2-strike swinging strikeout. After two outs, he ended the inning by getting Ha Jae-hun to ground out to the shortstop on the first pitch.

In the second inning, he got Ryu Hyo-seung out on a fly ball to center field on the 7th pitch of a 2 ball-2 strike count. An error by the second baseman allowed Hyeon Won-ho to reach base from a ground ball. With one out and one on, he caught Lee Yul-ye out on a ground ball to the third baseman, resulting in two outs and a runner on second base. In a scoring threat, he got Choi Yun-seok out on a ground ball to the third baseman, finishing the inning without giving up a run.

Lee Jung-yong recorded quality starts in three consecutive games as a starter previously. On May 6 against the Doosan Bears, he pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out 7, and giving up no runs; on the 17th against KT Wiz, he pitched 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, striking out 3, and giving up 2 runs (1 earned); and on the 24th against Goyang Heroes, he pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, striking out 2, and giving up 3 runs (2 earned).

In the game on the 31st, he started but only pitched for 2 innings. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb plans to use Lee Jung-yong as a bullpen pitcher once he is discharged. He is expected to be discharged on June 17.

Manager Youm noted regarding Lee Jung-yong's utilization, "Due to the atmosphere of the pitching staff, Jung-yong is thinking of going to the bullpen. When considering whether to keep him as a starter or middle reliever, I believe he could return as a starter stably. The middle role is tough. I've decided to use him in the bullpen."

Once Lee Jung-yong discharges from the Military Baseball Team, there were plans to have the existing five-man starting rotation take turns resting and use him as a starter. However, with injuries sidelining Jang Hyeon-sik and Kim Gang-ryul from the bullpen, a stronger bullpen became more urgent.

Lee Jung-yong was a key figure in the unified championship of the 2023 season. At the start of the season, he took on an emergency closing role, and as a hole appeared in the starting rotation midway through the season, he shifted to a starting role and played a significant part.

In the regular season, he recorded 7 wins, 2 losses, 3 saves, and 1 hold in 37 games with an earned run average of 4.15. In the Korean Series, he contributed as a key reliever, pitching 4 innings across 4 games without allowing a run, and secured 1 save. After winning the Korean Series, he will enlist in the military and return to LG after about two weeks.

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