Defending champion KIA Tigers will let their key starting pitchers take ten days off in succession near the end of the first half.

KIA has removed foreign pitcher James Nail and Adam Oller from the first team roster. Native ace Yang Hyun-jong is also contemplating whether to take a break at the end of the first half.

KIA excluded Oller from the first team roster before the game against LG Twins on the 28th at Jamsil Stadium. It is for rest purposes. Previously, on the 23rd, Nail was removed from the first team for rest.

Nail has recorded 5 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 2.68 over 16 games. He pitched 97⅓ innings. Oller has recorded 8 wins and 3 losses with an earned run average of 3.03 over 16 games. He pitched 95 innings. In the league's institutional sector in innings, Nail is ranked 4th, and Oller is ranked 7th.

Oller decided to take a ten-day break a bit earlier than planned due to some heaviness in his shoulder. Manager Lee Beom-ho noted on the 28th at Jamsil Stadium, “I pondered a lot about what to do with James missing. He seems to have some heaviness after pitching, so I thought it would be better to take him out for a while when he feels a bit stiff and heavy. Since we’re doing this, let’s take everyone out.” He smiled wryly.

Oller started in the game against Kiwoom on the 25th and monitored his condition on the 26th and 27th. Manager Lee said, “As the next pitching date approaches, I asked him how he feels, and he said he still feels a bit heavy.

So if that is the case, after a perfect ten-day rest, he could pitch against Hanwha, and during the All-Star break, he could rest for another ten days. It is indeed a very tough time, but the timing seems right. Although it’s a bit difficult, it seems to be the right timing, so we all discussed it and made a decision,” he explained. It means losing two days until re-registering to the first team.

Nail can be registered to the first team on July 3. After pitching with Yang Hyun-jong, Kim Do-hyun, and Yoon Young-cheol in the starting rotation against LG on the weekend, a substitute starter must pitch against SSG Landers on the 1st and 2nd of the following week. On the 1st, Kim Geon-guk is expected to take the mound. On the 2nd, it seems that one substitute pitcher will be called up from the Futures League.

Manager Lee joked, “I wonder if it might rain next week” and added, “I can't raise Lee Yi-ri quickly either, and some pitchers who have rotated in the Futures League are there. Those players can come up and pitch well, and in doing so, we can find a good pitcher. There might be a pitcher who has experienced difficulties in the Futures League like (Sung) Young-tak but can pitch well in the first team, so I hope for that. The end of the first half seems to be the toughest time for all teams physically,” he said.

Veteran Yang Hyun-jong is also contemplating whether to take a break at the end of the first half. Manager Lee said, “I was planning to give Hyun-jong a break after his next pitch. If he pitches next (against Lotte on July 4) and takes a break, he can rest for about two weeks before the Hanwha game (on July 10). I was going to pull him after the Lotte game, but now I'm wondering if he should pitch in the last game against Hanwha.” This is because both Nail and Oller have been removed from the roster.

Manager Lee explained, “If Hyun-jong doesn’t pitch against Hanwha, he can rest for over 10 days until the All-Star break. If it seems that he needs to pitch in the last game against Hanwha in the current situation, I'm thinking of allowing him to rest for ten days after the All-Star break during the first four-game series of the second half. I am considering these two options.”

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