The Doosan Bears, busy with their season, faced an injury setback. The return of power hitter Yang Seok-hwan (34), who was adjusting in the minor leagues, has also been delayed.
Doosan announced on the 11th that ahead of the game against Hanwha in Daejeon, Yang Seok-hwan departed for Japan on the 9th and is scheduled to receive treatment at Ijima treatment center for a week.
On the 3rd, the first day of acting manager Cho Sung-hwan's regime after former manager Lee Seung-yup's voluntary resignation, Yang Seok-hwan, who was sent down to the minor leagues for atmosphere renewal, sustained a hit-by-pitch injury in the Futures League. He was replaced after being hit by a pitch from the opposing pitcher Lee Geon-wook in the second inning of the match against SSG on the 4th.
Initially diagnosed with a simple bruise, his condition did not improve, and a detailed examination confirmed that he had a hairline fracture in his rib. Consequently, Yang Seok-hwan left to Ijima treatment center, known as a holy place for rehabilitation in Japan. It is famous for its special treatment using electrical equipment.
While there are hopes that the recovery period could be shortened, nothing is guaranteed. He will undergo treatment here for a week, and after returning home, they plan to monitor his prognosis and determine a timeline for his return. It would be fortunate if he recovers quickly, but it may not be easy for him to return by June since he also needs time to regain his competitive edge in the Futures League.
Since being traded to Doosan in 2021, Yang Seok-hwan has demonstrated his potential by hitting 28 home runs and remained with a maximum 7.8 billion won FA contract for 4+2 years after the 2023 season. Last year, he had a batting average of .246 (131 hits in 533 at-bats), 34 home runs, and 107 RBIs over 142 games, but his overall offensive production was slightly disappointing, while he set personal records for home runs and RBIs.
However, this season, he has struggled with a batting average of .260 (53 hits in 204 at-bats), 6 home runs, and 23 RBIs over 56 games. He has shown vulnerability with a batting average of .224 with runners in scoring position (13 hits in 58 at-bats) and no home runs. Before being removed from the roster, he hit a low of .167 (5 hits in 30 at-bats) and an OPS of .539 over the last 10 games.
He received full trust during former manager Lee Seung-yup's tenure but fell short of expectations and was notified of his demotion to the minor leagues as the team switched to acting manager Cho Sung-hwan's regime. Although it was expected that he would quickly adjust in the minor leagues and return to the first team, an unexpected hit-by-pitch injury has prolonged his absence.
Doosan has struggled under acting manager Cho Sung-hwan, with a record of 2 wins and 6 losses over 8 games. After a recent 4-game losing streak, they remain firmly in 9th place (25 wins, 38 losses, 3 ties), with their win rate dropping to .397. Although younger players are filling the lineup, they have not escaped growing pains in both offense and defense. Under Cho's regime, the team ranks 10th in batting average (.223) and OPS (.589), averaging only 2.8 runs per game.
Ultimately, the team needs the strength of veterans, and Yang Seok-hwan's injury gap is regrettable. Infielder Kang Seung-ho, who was also sent down to the minor leagues with Yang Seok-hwan, is managing to raise his batting form in the Futures League with a batting average of .278 (5 hits in 18 at-bats) and 3 RBIs over 6 games. Acting manager Cho Sung-hwan, who directly observed the Futures League game against Hanwha on the 11th, also confirmed Kang Seung-ho.
Acting manager Cho stated, “Although there are batting coaches in the minor leagues, Chief Coach Koto Koji worked one-on-one with Kang Seung-ho today. He responded with multi-hits,” adding, “Kang Seung-ho is a player who can fulfill his role in defense, so I will determine the timing of his call-up based on whether his batting condition has improved to a certain extent. Rather than focusing on the numbers of hits and home runs, I am concentrating on the quality of the contact, swings and contact ratio.” Due to scheduling, Kang Seung-ho will be eligible for re-registration to the first-team roster starting the 13th for the game against Kiwoom in Jamsil.
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