After being pushed back to 2nd place for the first time in 34 days, the professional baseball LG Twins welcome a delightful reinforcement. Pitcher Lee Jung-yong will return on the 17th after being discharged from military service. However, he is expected to struggle to perform at 100% due to discomfort in his back.
Youm Kyoung-youb, the manager, waited for Lee Jung-yong's return during the away game in Daejeon last weekend and said, "Jung-yong's back isn't in good condition," expressing his disappointment.
LG has vacated two slots in this week's starting rotation. This is because Son Ju-yeong and Im Chan-kyu have been excluded from the first team roster for rest purposes. The starting slots are empty for the games against NC on the 18th and Doosan on the 19th.
Youm Kyoung-youb said, "I was planning to use Jung-yong as a starter on Thursday (the 18th), but I heard his back isn't in very good condition. So, I think we need to be cautious. We need to monitor his back condition a bit more," he said. He may not be registered to the first team immediately.
Manager Youm announced, "Choi Chae-hung will start on the 18th." He also noted, "There’s a forecast for rain on the 19th..." while hoping for a cancellation due to rain, and is currently preparing for a bullpen day.
Lee Jung-yong can be utilized both as a starter and in the bullpen. During the 2023 season, when LG achieved the combined championship, he switched from the bullpen to a starting role mid-season and performed well, contributing to the combined championship in the postseason as part of the key relievers.
Lee Jung-yong also pitched as a starter in military service, but shifted to the bullpen as he approached discharge. He recorded 3 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 3.60 over 11 games (8 starts). He pitched 8 games as a starter in April and May. In his first start, he pitched only 2 innings due to a buildup process, and then he managed 5 innings three times and 6 innings three times.
On May 31, he pitched only 2 innings as a starter against SSG, and on the 4th and 12th against Lotte, he pitched 1 inning each. He had a perfect outing in his last three games, tossing 4 innings with no hits, no walks, and 4 strikeouts.
Manager Youm had planned to utilize Lee Jung-yong as a key reliever upon his return, to strengthen the bullpen, and to use him as a substitute starter when the existing starting pitchers needed a break. However, there were some issues with his back following his last appearance.
On the 15th, LG lost to Hanwha 5-10, slipping to 2nd place. They are now in the position of pursuers. Against NC and Doosan, they are preparing for a 6-game series with Hernandez, Chirinos, Choi Chae-hung, a bullpen day, Son Ju-yeong, and Song Seung-gi slated to start.
Meanwhile, as soon as Lee Jung-yong is discharged on the 17th, he will head to Jamsil Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Lee said, "I'm grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity to greet the fans as a ceremonial pitch aligns with my discharge time."
Lee Jung-yong added, "I really missed Jamsil Baseball Stadium while I was away, and I missed the fans filling the stands so much. During my military service, I supported the LG Twins a lot as a fan. Now, I want to return as a player and contribute. I will do my best to show you a good performance moving forward."
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