The starting lineup of the professional baseball Samsung Lions is in jeopardy.

Samsung has excluded local ace Won Tae-in and foreign pitcher Reyes from the first team roster. Reyes is expected to be sidelined for an extended period. Samsung will need two replacement starters against mid-tier competitors KIA Tigers and KT Wiz this week.

Won Tae-in and Reyes were key figures in Samsung's advancement to the Korean Series last year. Last year, Won recorded 15 wins and 6 losses with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.66 over 28 games. He was a co-leader in wins and had the best ERA among domestic pitchers. Reyes recorded 11 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 3.81 over 26 games. Following his efforts in the regular season, playoffs, and Korean Series, he suffered minor injuries during this year's spring camp.

Won Tae-in suffered a shoulder labrum injury during last year's Korean Series and underwent offseason rehabilitation. He faced some delays in preparing for the season due to shoulder pain during camp. Reyes suffered a minor fatigue fracture injury to his right foot during camp.

Both players missed the exhibition games in March, but they built up their form in the Futures League and joined the starting rotation at the end of March. Once the season started, they only missed one game in the starting rotation.

Reyes was excluded from the first team roster on the 8th. The injury to his right foot, sustained during spring camp, has recurred. Reyes made a start against the NC Dinos on the 7th, allowing 4 runs in 3 innings (71 pitches) before being replaced early in the 4th inning. On the 9th, Reyes underwent a medical examination and was diagnosed with a minor fracture in his foot. Recovery is expected to take about a month, similar to his injury in February.

Reyes has pitched in 10 games this season, recording 4 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 4.14. He took a two-week break due to shoulder inflammation in mid-April. Now, he is sidelined with a foot injury. Samsung may temporarily enlist an injury replacement during Reyes's absence or potentially look for a suitable foreign pitcher for a complete replacement.

Won Tae-in was removed from the first team roster on the 7th. There is no particular injury. This is a precautionary removal for rest. On the 6th, he made a start against NC, pitching 7 innings while allowing 3 runs for the win. This season, Won has recorded 5 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.68 over 12 games. If he is in good health, he could start against the Doosan Bears on the 17th.

Samsung plans to use Hwang Dong-jae and Yang Chang-seob as replacement starters in the absence of Won Tae-in and Reyes. For the three-game series against KIA, the starters will be Choi Won-tae, Lee Seung-hyun, and Hwang Dong-jae, while against KT, it will be Yang Chang-seob, Hu Ra-do, and Choi Won-tae.

Samsung has recorded 34 wins and 29 losses with 1 tie, placing them 4th, trailing 0.5 games behind 3rd place Lotte (34 wins, 28 losses, 3 ties). Right behind them, the 5th to 7th places are in pursuit. 5th place KT has 33 wins and 29 losses with 3 ties, just 0.5 games behind Samsung. 6th place SSG has 32 wins and 29 losses with 2 ties, 1 game behind, while 7th place KIA has 31 wins and 30 losses with 1 tie, 2 games behind.

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