The Hanwha Eagles baseball team is getting stronger. Fireballer Moon Dong-ju (22), who was removed from the first team roster for rest, will return this weekend. His return date has been set against the LG Twins, who are competing for first place.
Hanwha secured a winning series with a 9-1 victory over Doosan in Daejeon on 11th, maintaining a 0.5-game difference from first-place LG. Cho Dong-uk, who took the mound as a temporary starter in place of Ryu Hyun-jin, who is resting due to inner thigh pain, became the winning pitcher with a performance of 5 innings, 4 hits allowed (1 home run), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.
Ahead of the Doosan game on 12th, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon's expression was brighter than ever. Kim said, "It's great for the team that the replacement starter won. I feel a burden lifted from my heart. Cho Dong-uk played his role well in the early stages, energizing the team, and we have now gathered strength until the injured players return, which is good from a managerial perspective. I am proud of all the players, not just Cho Dong-uk."
Cho Dong-uk, who delivered an aggressive pitching performance, had thrown only 65 pitches through the 5th inning. While he could have gone another inning, Manager Kim started the bullpen from the 6th inning. Regarding this, Kim explained, "I considered having him go one more inning, but Moon Dong-ju is expected to join this weekend, on Sunday. The date has been a while since he was removed from the roster. I believe he has prepared thoroughly step by step."
Moon Dong-ju, who was removed from the first team roster after the Doosan game on 25th of last month, is expected to return as a starter against LG on 15th. If it does not rain on 13th or 14th, Moon will have his comeback game against first-place LG after 21 days, making it even more exciting as they are in a fierce contest for the lead, with only a 0.5-game difference. In his season debut on March 27 against LG at Jamsil, he had a strong outing with 5 innings, allowing only 1 hit, no walks, 6 strikeouts, and no earned runs.
Manager Kim commented on Moon Dong-ju's condition, saying, "He is almost ready now. I heard from pitching coach Yang Sang-moon that we’re looking at Sunday. It’s been a while since he was removed from the roster, and I believe he is ready step by step."
With the return of Moon Dong-ju, Ryan Weiss will also have the opportunity to pitch twice this week, avoiding 4 days of rest. Manager Kim noted, "Cody Ponce is also facing difficulties with the 4-day turn. Ponce has not pitched much in Japan, so we need to manage him before he gets hurt, and if Dong-ju returns on that date, Weiss can rest easily until Monday and will pitch on Tuesday (the game against Lotte on 17th). If Ponce's timing allows, I’ll consider managing him once more."
Meanwhile, Hanwha announced its lineup against Doosan, featuring left-handed starter Jack Logue. The batting order includes Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Ha Ju-suk (shortstop), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Roh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (designated hitter), Lee Jin-young (right fielder), Kim Tae-yean (first baseman), Choi Jae-hun (catcher), and Lee Do-yoon (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Eom Sang-bak.
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