Kiwoom seeks alternative foreign pitcher! "With Wills out for six weeks, possibility of Park Jun-hyun starting also opens up"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes' starting rotation is in crisis. With foreign pitcher Wills facing an unavoidable long-term absence due to injury, the club has launched a reorganization of the mound, including the recruitment of an alternative foreign player.

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) announced on the 21st regarding Wills' condition at his residence in Guro-gu, Seoul, that "according to medical opinion, he has been reported unable to pitch for about six weeks." As Wills' absence period extends, the club has immediately begun searching for an alternative foreign pitcher.

First, among domestic starting resources to fill Wills' vacancy, Park Jun-hyun is emerging as a top candidate. The starting pitcher for the game against NC Dinos on the 21st is Oh Seok-ju, and the game on the 23rd has been assigned to Kim Yeon-ju. The starting pitcher for the game on the 26th remains undecided. Manager Seol Jong-jin stated, "Park Jun-hyun has recently completed about five innings and 80 pitches in the Futures League, completing a certain level of starting buildup. The starting pitcher for the game on the 26th has not yet been decided. We plan to first review the game today, then examine Oh Seok-ju's pitching performance and other pitching configurations before making a decision."

The bullpen, responsible for critical moments in the latter half of games, is also seeking stability through role changes. In the existing system where Yuto pitched the 8th inning and Kim Jae-woong the 9th, Yuto will now take the closer role (9th inning), while Kim Jae-woong will move to the setup man role (8th inning). Manager Seol said, "Yuto's velocity has significantly recovered, and he is delivering powerful pitching. After consultation with the coaching staff, we decided to place Yuto, who can overpower batters with his strength, in the final inning."

Finally, regarding the normalization of the starting rotation, Manager Seol stated, "An Woo-jin and Bae Dong-hyun are each entering as starters, and Jo Young-geon is also targeting a return in early May. If we can hold on well for the next one to two weeks, the mound should find stability," expressing his expectation.

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*This content was translated by AI.