The Hanwha Eagles' star rookie pitcher Jeong Woo-joo (19) has been removed from the first team roster for the first time this season. There is no issue with his physical condition; this is a matter of management.

On the 11th, Hanwha removed right-handed pitcher Jeong Woo-joo from the first team roster ahead of the game against Doosan in Daejeon and registered left-handed pitcher Kim Ki-joong. This is the first time Jeong Woo-joo has been excluded from the first team after being included in the opening roster for 81 days.

Kim Kyung-moon, the head coach of Hanwha, noted in a pre-game interview that "It's time for (Jeong) Woo-joo to take a break. It was not because he gave up runs yesterday (the 10th) that he was taken out. I was looking at the timing to give him a break; I decided after watching him pitch yesterday. I thought it would be better to give him a break before he feels pain, so I talked with (Yang Sang-moon) the pitching coach and made the decision."

Jeong Woo-joo, a star rookie who joined Hanwha this year as the overall second pick in the first round from Jeonju High School, has been making a name for himself in the bullpen since his first year. He has recorded 2 wins, 3 holds, and an earned run average of 4.81 over 29 games this season, contributing to Hanwha's bullpen. With a top pitching speed of 156 km/h, he struck out 32 batters over 24⅓ innings and demonstrated impressive pitching with a batting average against of .172.

However, it is not easy for a 19-year-old rookie to handle a full-time season physically. Recently, his velocity has noticeably dropped. In the game against Doosan on the 10th, he faced difficulty, coming in during the 9th inning with 1 out, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs (1 unearned) over ⅓ inning, with a maximum fastball speed of 149 km/h, none exceeding 150 km/h.

Ultimately, Coach Kim Kyung-moon decided to give a break after discussing it with pitching coach Yang Sang-moon. They decided to give the young 19-year-old prospect some time to recharge instead of pushing him too hard. Jeong Woo-joo is expected to join Seosan on the 12th. Coach Kim stated, "He will go to do some running, and it won’t take long (to return to the first team)," adding that he would be brought back after regaining his strength.

In place of Jeong Woo-joo, left-handed pitcher Kim Ki-joong has been registered for the first time this season. He had started in all 9 games in the Futures League this year with an earned run average of 4.87 and a loss without a win. He struck out 44 batters over 40⅔ innings and has experience as both a starter and reliever in the first team.

Coach Kim explained about Kim Ki-joong's call-up, saying, "We need a left-handed pitcher. (Ryu) Hyun-jin was replaced by (Cho) Dong-uk as a starter, leaving us with only (Kim) Beom-soo in the left-handed bullpen. So, we brought up Ki-joong." Cho Dong-uk, who had been in the bullpen, stepped in as a replacement starter during Ryu Hyun-jin's absence after being removed from the first team roster due to internal muscle pain, and thus they added one more left-handed reliever.

Meanwhile, on the 11th, Hanwha announced its lineup against Doosan, facing sidearm starter Choi Won-jun, featuring Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Choi In-ho (designated hitter), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Roh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Kim Tae-yean (right fielder), Lee Do-yoon (shortstop), Choi Jae-hun (catcher), and Hwang Young-mook (second baseman). Lee Won-seok, who had two hits in the 7th batting order the previous day (the 10th), moved up to lead-off.

The starting pitcher will be Cho Dong-uk, marking his first start in 259 days since the game against LG on September 25 of last year. He has sufficiently increased his number of pitches while performing a long relief role this season. Coach Kim expressed his expectations regarding Cho Dong-uk's pitch count, saying, "I expect around 80 to 90 pitches at maximum. I’m not sure how his stamina will hold up, but I hope he can pitch 5 innings at around 80 pitches."

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