KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho revealed plans to give rest to his starting pitchers for the remaining period of the first half.

Manager Lee Beom-ho noted in an interview before the game against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 24th, "Injured players seem to be returning in the second half. Lee Yi-ri will come back first."

Lee Yi-ri underwent Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament reconstruction) last June. Focusing on rehabilitation, Lee Yi-ri has not yet pitched a game in the first team. However, on the 22nd, he appeared in the Futures League, pitching 2 innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 1 unearned run, officially starting preparations for his return to the first team.

Manager Lee Beom-ho said, "Since Lee Yi-ri is now rotating in the starting lineup, if he can fill a certain pitch count, he should return the fastest. If he throws 75 pitches in the second team and another 15 in bullpen sessions, totaling 90 pitches, we plan to call him up then. Other players have lower body injuries, so we will need to check their conditions, and they can only return if the training staff deems them fully ready."

On the 23rd, KIA removed foreign pitcher James Naile from the first team roster for a brief rest. Naile has recorded 5 wins, 2 losses, and an earned run average of 2.68 over 16 games (97⅓ innings) this season. Manager Lee Beom-ho explained the timing for Naile's rest, saying, "I had originally planned to give Naile a break, but I was wondering when would be the best timing. He has pitched quite a bit this season, and since he transformed completely after a break last year, I thought it would be better to rest him first."

"I was considering whether to give him rest including the All-Star break or to take a quicker break for about two weeks," Manager Lee Beom-ho stated. "However, since there is an All-Star game, it seems like it wouldn't be much of a rest period, so I decided to give him a break first. He will return before the All-Star break and pitch about two more times in the first half."

Manager Lee Beom-ho mentioned, "I talked to James about the rest. When we asked if he was feeling tired, he said last year, 'I'm fine. This is enough for now.' But last year, he pitched many games with 5-6 innings, and this year, he is pitching 6-7 innings. He has pitched a lot, and compared to last year, the innings are significantly more." He added, "Now when I ask, he definitely doesn’t give a clear answer and tilts his head. So, I interpret that as wanting a break," he said with a laugh.

Kim Do-hyun’s rest period has also been slightly extended. Originally, Kim Geon-guk, who was called up on the day, would pitch as the substitute starter, and Kim Do-hyun would fill the spot left vacant by Naile's rest. Including the rain-canceled game, we expect to achieve the effect of one less pitching appearance. Manager Lee Beom-ho said, "I’m putting Do-hyun in for Naile to give him an additional 2-3 days of rest. Kim Geon-guk is also well-prepared. He has thrown more than 50 pitches and has experience as both a starter and in the bullpen last year. If the bullpen can support well, I think it will be sufficient for him to pitch well for about 3-4 innings."

KIA is currently riding a 6-game winning streak, with a record of 38 wins, 2 ties, and 33 losses, resulting in a .535 winning percentage, placing them 4th in the league. "If we had been on a losing streak, it would have been hard to give rest," Manager Lee Beom-ho said, adding that "James has been performing well and has done his part up to now. While it’s very important now, the remaining second half is also important, so if our winning percentage had been around .500, we would have given rest. Although it’s not that we have a comfortable position since the players have been winning well, the timing has come for James to take a break," he expressed his gratitude to the players for their good performance.

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