"Did Cheon Seong-ho also burn with frustration?" Moon Bo-kyung returns to third base → Lee Jae-won starts the season; at the very least, Yeom Kyung-yeop did not forget.

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) expressed sympathy for the situation of Lee Jae-won (27), who has found it difficult to receive playing opportunities.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop announced on the 16th ahead of the Jamsil Lotte Giants game that "Moon Bo-kyung was not feeling well yesterday (15th), so he will continue to play as a designated hitter. He should be fine, but since he is not feeling well, he will again play as a designated hitter this week."

Moon Bo-kyung started at first base in the game against Jamsil Lotte on the 15th, colliding with the fence while catching a foul ball hit by Han Dong-hee in the top of the 7th inning. This was a scene similar to when he collided with the fence while fielding a third-base foul ball during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC). At that time, Moon Bo-kyung experienced strain on his waist and served as a designated hitter for a while after the season opener. Although he gradually returned to playing first base and third base, the defensive play on this day once again set his plans back to square one.

With Moon Bo-kyung taking the first base and designated hitter positions, the biggest impact fell on Lee Jae-won. As a counterbalance, Cheon Seong-ho (29), who had practiced various defensive positions including corner outfield, second base, and third base prior to the season, seized the opportunity by filling Moon's vacancy. The sudden injury to Moon Bo-kyung also affected the pre-season development plan for Lee Jae-won.

Lee Jae-won is the most anticipated right-handed power hitter from LG. He debuted in the KBO League in 2020 and left a brief but striking impression with 13 home runs in 2022. Last year, while serving in the military with the Army Baseball Team (Sangmu), he dominated the Futures League with a .329 batting average (277 at-bats, 91 hits), 26 home runs, 91 RBIs, 81 runs scored, a .457 on-base percentage, and a .643 slugging percentage across 78 games, garnering high expectations.

The manager also wanted to give Lee Jae-won, who found confidence after returning from a senior executive role, opportunities to play at least 120 games with over 300 plate appearances this season as the eighth batter and designated hitter. Manager Yeom said, "We will watch Moon Bo-kyung for a week and then put him back at first base next week," adding, "Moon Bo-kyung needs to move to third base quickly so that Lee Jae-won can get his chance," sighing.

However, given the immense expectations surrounding Lee Jae-won's return both inside and outside the club, some are already expressing frustration despite him having played only 11% of the season (16 games). Head Coach Yeom's stance, where Lee Jae-won's name involuntarily slipped into his remarks about Moon Bo-kyung, is not significantly different. It feels as though he was equally tormented by the same issue of playing time during last year's situation with Cheon Seong-ho.

However, Cheon Sung-ho's growth also served as a reason why LG did not feel rushed. Before joining LG last June, Cheon Sung-ho was a perennial prospect who, despite his excellent hitting ability, failed to receive first-team opportunities due to defensive shortcomings. As a result, Cheon Sung-ho also received irregular playing opportunities last year. Fortunately for Cheon Sung-ho personally, he was given many opportunities in July due to Austin's side injury. After Austin returned and LG began its serious race for standings, Cheon was once again pushed back to a backup role.

In the meantime, Cheon Sung-ho put on an outfield glove and engaged in defensive training, constantly striving to prove his value. In response, Manager Yeom refrained from excluding him from the first team until the end of the season, offering him limited but consistent opportunities. Cheon Sung-ho, in turn, had already demonstrated beyond doubt in the Futures League with a batting average of 0.315 (293 hits in 929 at-bats), leaving nothing left to prove in the second team. After eventually moving to LG, Cheon Sung-ho finished the regular season with a batting average of 0.255 (27 hits in 106 at-bats) over 52 games, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.647. Nevertheless, he made the Korean Series roster by making the most of these limited opportunities, and this year he has shown clear growth, delivering performances befitting a regular starter.

Lee Jae-won also has no more to prove in the second division, with a career Futures League batting average of 0.294 (1,077 at-bats, 317 hits), on-base percentage of 0.407, and slugging percentage of 0.582, just like Cheon Sung-ho. LG does not require Lee Jae-won to play defense moving between the left and right outfield fields as it does for Cheon Sung-ho. Cheon Sung-ho excels in contact ability and possesses solid basic athletic skills, while Lee Jae-won boasts a power-hitting ability that is rare even in the KBO League; thus, the roles expected of them differ.

While Cheon Sung-ho was unable to play, the team hoped he would hone his outfield defense, and for Lee Jae-won, they hoped he would gain as much experience as possible facing first-team pitchers even in limited at-bats. This was the same logic behind Lee stepping in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs on the 15th, when LG trailed 0-2. This year, Choi Jun-yong has demonstrated the caliber of a top-tier first-team pitcher, taking over as the closer in place of Kim Won-jung, making it a valuable opportunity for Lee Jae-won.

The task recently assigned by Manager Yeom also follows a similar context. Ahead of the match against the Jamsil SSG Landers on the 11th, Manager Yeom explained, "(Lee) Jae-won should experience through failure this year why things are not working. Since Jae-won has not yet played properly in the first team, he is much more likely to believe his own thoughts. He may not understand why the batting coach or those around him say so."

He added, "The moment that determines whether Jaewon will grow is not this year but next year. This year, it is more important to accurately recognize why I am failing rather than achieving success. Only then can we understand what basic skills need to be filled in, from finishing training to the mechanism side. If the athlete's mind is not open, it will take longer." He further emphasized, "Ultimately, one must experience failure to feel the urgency. That part must be felt by the individual. When the individual thinks about it and accepts it, the time to fill in the many shortcomings will be much faster."

LG has made significant efforts both on and off the field for Lee Jae-won, who is set to return to the team, building on his outstanding performance in the Futures League since last year. The team is well aware of Lee Jae-won's diligence and his strong desire to succeed. Their goal was simply to minimize the burden that numerous promising power hitters had felt in the past. The reason the manager deliberately limited Lee Jae-won's defensive position to first base in the long term, and fixed his spot in the batting order at eighth, stems from the same consideration.

It is not a case of plans going awry. The shift in role for backups due to injuries to starting players is common at the professional level, and Moon Bo-kyung's injury, which will see him return to third base soon, is temporary. Lee Jae-won's true 2026 season has not even begun yet.

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*This content was translated by AI.