LG Twins pitcher Jung Woo-young made his first appearance on the first team mound this season.

On the 15th, Jung Woo-young pitched as a relief pitcher in a game against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon, recording 1 inning, 1 hit allowed (1 home run), 1 strikeout, and 1 earned run. His two-seam fastball reached a maximum speed of 148 km/h. He threw 19 pitches, predominantly using the two-seam fastball, with the exception of one sweeper.

Jung Woo-young took the mound in the 8th inning, trailing 4-9. He threw four consecutive two-seam fastballs at speeds of 146-147 km/h to the first batter, Choi In-ho, getting an out on a ground ball to the shortstop. He also threw three two-seam fastballs to Moon Hyun-bin, getting a ground ball to the second baseman for an out on the second ball.

After two outs, during a confrontation with Roh Si-hwan, a two-seam fastball he threw on a full count (147 km/h) was left over the middle, resulting in a solo home run that cleared the right-center fence. Roh Si-hwan did not miss the mis-thrown pitch and hit it well. He then faced substitute Kim Tae-yean, throwing six two-seam fastballs and ending the inning with a looking strikeout on the full count.

He pitched on the first team mound for the first time in 263 days since the game against Hanwha on Sept. 25 of last year. His first appearance was not in a tight contest but rather in a comfortable situation. Aside from the mis-thrown pitch that led to the home run, the pitching performance was not bad.

Before the game, manager Youm Kyoung-youb mentioned about Jung Woo-young, "It seems like he needs a little more build-up. His balance is still not good. By July, it should come together." If he continues to pitch in a pressure-free situation and regains his balance, he can contribute to the bullpen.

On the 17th, Jung Woo-young will be the final piece of the 2023 LG championship bullpen, along with Lee Jeong-yong, who will be discharged from military service, and Ham Deok-joo, who will return after recovering from elbow surgery. Although the 157 km/h fastball he showed in 2022 no longer appears, he can still challenge batters sufficiently if he has control with speeds of 147-148 km/h.

Jung Woo-young, who recorded an average ERA of 2.64 and won the hold title with 35 holds in 2022, underwent bone fragment removal surgery on his elbow at the end of the 2023 season and posted a career-low season in 2024 with a record of 2 wins, 1 loss, and 3 holds with an average ERA of 4.76. It seems that the aftereffects of the surgery had some impact.

Ahead of spring training in February this year, he attempted to regain his old pitching form and speed during personal training at Tread Athletic in the United States. However, he showed inconsistent control in exhibition games and started the season in the Futures League.

Jung Woo-young gradually restored his pitching balance through fundamental training in the second team and made a return to the Futures League after two months at the end of May. He recorded 5 games (4⅔ innings), allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run (unearned) with an ERA of 0, and was registered on the first team roster on the 13th.

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