Professional baseball player Lee Jeong-yong of the LG Twins took the mound the day after his discharge from military service and recorded a hold. Lee, who said, “I want to be a championship fairy,” received applause for his scoreless pitching in his first appearance.

After winning the 2023 Korean Series and enlisting in the military, Lee Jeong-yong was discharged from the Army on the 17th. On the 17th, he visited Jamsil Stadium and greeted LG fans as the opening pitcher.

On the 18th, after becoming a civilian, Lee was immediately registered on the first-team roster. Youm Kyoung-youb, the manager, mentioned, "I will have him pitch one inning as much as possible." Lee was classified as a key resource alongside Jang Hyun-sik, Kim Jin-sung, and Yoo Young-chan in the winning group. In a pre-game interview, Lee stated, “Since I’m back, I want to win. I was here in 2023, and we won, but I wasn’t here last year... I want to be a championship fairy.”

On the 18th, LG engaged in a slugfest against the NC Dinos at Jamsil Stadium. LG was ahead 3-0 when starting pitcher Chi-rinos was hit hard in the middle innings, allowing a 3-5 turnaround. They bounced back with a five-run big inning in the 5th to lead 8-6.

Lee Jeong-yong took the mound in the 7th inning after the winning group, Jang Hyun-sik and Kim Jin-sung, had pitched. When Lee took the mound, LG fans welcomed him with tremendous cheers. After the game, Lee said, “The fans' cheers were so loud that I was surprised. I thought I definitely had to pitch well, so I focused on my throwing.”

Lee Jeong-yong threw a 144 km/h fastball (strike) on the first pitch against lead-off hitter Kim Hyung-jun. He got Chun Jae-hwan out with a pop-up to center field on a 115 km/h curveball. He issued a walk to Chun Jae-hwan.

Lee struck out Kim Ju-won on the first pitch with a fastball (144 km/h) for a pop-up to the shortstop, achieving the second out. He again allowed Kwon Hee-dong to reach base on a walk. With two outs and runners on first and second, he struck out Park Min-woo swinging on the third pitch with a fastball (145 km/h) and came off the mound roaring. Although he issued two walks in his first appearance after returning from military service, he managed to prevent any runs.

After the game, Lee said, “It was a one-run game, and I personally really wanted to win today. I feel relieved about what I accomplished, and I wanted to show a good performance quickly in my first appearance, and the results were good.”

He added, “I was a little disappointed about the walks, but I can’t expect to be full after the first meal, so I will show a better performance moving forward.”

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