Professional baseball player Lee Won-seok (26) of the Hanwha Eagles has been excluded from the first team roster for the first time this season. He filled the gap after Estevan Florial's injury by performing as the starting center fielder, but he was excluded from the first team roster with the addition of the foreign batter Luis Riberto as an injury replacement. It is a measure for injury management.
Hanwha removed outfielders Lee Won-seok and Lee Sang-hyuk from the first team roster as they added outfielder Riberto and infielder Shim Woo-jun to the first team roster on the 20th, before the Daejeon Kiwoom game was canceled due to rain. Among them, Lee Won-seok is the first to be excluded from the first team roster this season.
Lee Won-seok started as the number 9 batter and center fielder in the lineup against Lotte on the 19th, but was substituted before the bottom of the first inning due to a precautionary measure for his left hamstring pain. The substitution was made for player protection, and the roster exclusion took place on the 20th.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "If (Lee) Won-seok rests until Monday (the 23rd), he says he'll be fine, but he has to fully recover. He keeps saying he's okay, but if he gets injured again, it could take a long time. If he manages this turn well, he could be registered again after about 7 to 8 games."
The club announced that Lee Won-seok's pain area is his hamstring. Manager Kim Kyung-moon stated, "It's not the hamstring; it seems like (his leg) is just a bit tight. There’s no casual running in baseball. Pain usually occurs when suddenly moving in defense." He emphasized, "Won-seok understands the team's situation and says he can play, but the manager needs to step back and let him fully recover. He is a specialist for our team, and it’s better to recover fully rather than play with a little discomfort."
Lee Won-seok, an outfielder who bats right and throws right, has been with Hanwha since being drafted 34th overall in the 4th round of the 2018 secondary draft, frequently moving between the first and second teams until last year. Though he received opportunities as a center fielder, his consistency declined, and he began a bulking program after last season. He increased his weight from 68kg to 82kg and joined the spring camp in Australia. Over the winter, he successfully gained 14kg by eating six meals a day.
During spring camp, Lee Won-seok said, "While there are technical issues to address during the season, I also felt my body wasn’t ready. From mid-season, even when I got a lot of sleep, I felt fatigued, and my bat felt heavy." He added, "I tried to maintain a consistent lifestyle pattern, going to bed by midnight and waking up at 7 a.m. to eat six meals, determined not to waste a day."
Though he fell behind in the competition for the starting outfielder role, he was recognized for his speed and secured a spot on the first team roster as a pinch runner since the opening. Despite struggling with a batting average of less than .100 until April, manager Kim Kyung-moon frequently used Lee Won-seok as a pinch runner in critical situations. This year, he has successfully stolen 13 bases with only 2 failures. He improved his stolen base success rate from 79.6% to 86.7%, leading Hanwha's aggressive base running. After Lee Won-seok's steals, there were 6 runs scored, 3 of which were crucial equalizing runs.
Despite some small mistakes in defense and running, he is an irreplaceable resource with the best speed on the Hanwha team. He is a key player in manager Kim Kyung-moon's strategy, and if his injury worsens, it could be a setback for the team in a potential autumn postseason. Therefore, while competing for first place, manager Kim decided to exclude Lee Won-seok from the roster, moving into management mode.
Although Lee Won-seok is out, foreign batter Riberto will temporarily take over the center fielder position. He was included in the starting lineup as the number 2 batter before the game against Kiwoom on the 20th was canceled due to rain. Backup center fielder Yu Ro-gyeol is also on standby. Manager Kim stated, "From what I see, Yu Ro-gyeol is doing okay. He has gone back and forth with the second team a couple of times, but this time I want to give him a bit more time."
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