"WBC RBI king takes a break" Yum Yeol-ryang said to Moon Bo-kyung, who returns to LG, "I take a few days off in the second division, if you don't mind, I'll go to DH." [On-site interview in Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Moon Bo-kyung (26, LG Twins), who only played five games in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and became the joint RBI king, is out. It proved that it works on the world stage as well. It is expected to take a break for the time being and slowly prepare for the season.

Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), the head coach of LG, met with reporters ahead of the 2026 KBO exhibition game against SSG Landers at SSG Renders Field in Incheon on the 19th and said, "I don't think Bo-kyung can do it in the first division, take a rest in the second division for a few days, and move and if it's okay, I'll play one game in the second division."

Moon Bo-kyung played in 2026 WBC with the Taegeuk mark and led South Korea's batting average of 0.438 (7 hits in 16 at-bats), two homers, two walks, two strikeouts, 11 RBIs and three runs in five games, an on-base percentage of 0.526, a slugging percentage of 0.938 and an on-base percentage of 1.464 OPS.

In particular, he led South Korea to the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years with three hits and four RBIs, including a two-run home run, at a time when he was desperate to win by more than five points and two runs or less.

Moon Bo-kyung's clutch instinct shone on the WBC stage as well. He tied for first place with runner-up Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Dominican Republic with 11 RBIs. He beat top-class hitters in the big leagues, including Venezuela's Luis Arraez (San Francisco, 10 RBIs) and Dominica Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto, 8 RBIs).

Unlike Park Hae-min and Shin Min-jae, who returned from Miami on the 16th and returned together, Song Seung-ki, who will start, and Yoo Young-chan, who is scheduled to take the mound as a bullpen, will rest.

I decided to give it enough rest because there is also a little discomfort in my back. Coach Yeom said, "If you come and play, you may have to take a rest for a game or two if you play, and if you play until the next week, you will be the designated hitter. If Moon Bo-kyung makes the nomination, Lee Jae-won should take a rest."

Koo Bon-hyuk is expected to take the third base position without Moon Bo-kyung. Coach Yeom said, "We have to use (former) Bon-hyuk. "I have a great feeling about Bon-hyuk," he said. "I'm not saying that Jae-won (Lee), Seong-ho (Cheon), and Bon-hyuk (formerly) will go for a year anyway, so I'm not giving him a chance from the beginning, but when Jae-won is in good physical condition, I'll go again when he can hit." "Since Jae-won is still unable to keep up with the ball over 150km during the exhibition game, we will consider that and use it," he said.

Park Dong-won, the main catcher of the WBC national team, will also take a break for the time being. However, Song Seung-ki will start, and Park Hae-min and Shin Min-jae will start. Coach Yeom said, "I'll throw about 50 pitches today, then about 70 pitches, and then 90 pitches," adding, "You have to throw well at first. The number is not important, but even 70 pitches should be thrown well," he said.

Regarding Yoo Young-chan, who did not have many chances to take the mound in the WBC national team, he said, "I will play three times (in the trial game). "If you throw three times like taking a day off and taking the mound, it will be a build-up," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.