[Breaking News] Kiwoom makes a bold move! Park Jun-hyun, set to start in Park Byung-ho's retirement game, will face the team his father once played for... making a surprise debut on the 26th

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes, despite a string of injuries to key players, is making a decisive move by fielding 'first-round draft pick' and right-handed fireballer Park Jun-hyun (19). In particular, attention is focused on the fact that a rookie pitcher has been selected as the starter for the game against Samsung Lions scheduled after 'legend' Park Byung-ho's retirement event on the 26th.

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) met with reporters on the 22nd ahead of the game against NC Dinos to be held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. He stated, "It will be difficult for Oh Seok-ju, who started as the pitcher yesterday (21st), to start on the 26th. This is partly because there is no four-day rotation. Therefore, Park Jun-hyun will start on the 26th. Although he has not yet been registered in the roster, he has been added to the first-team squad. We confirmed his pitching on the 23rd and are now preparing for his start on the 26th."

Kiwoom's pitching mound currently has a major hole in its rotation after foreign 'second starter' Nathan Wills was ruled out for six weeks due to shoulder pain. The club immediately signed left-handed pitcher Kenny Rosenberg, who played last season, but his visa has not yet been issued.

In the meantime, Park Jun-hyun was urgently called up after completing his starting buildup in the Futures League. Having pitched around five innings with approximately 80 pitches to prepare, Park Jun-hyun finished his final bullpen session on the 23rd and plans to make his first-team debut on the 26th. This season, Park Jun-hyun conducted his starting buildup in the second team instead of being included in the opening roster. In four Futures League games, he has no wins but has recorded one loss with an ERA of 1.88. In particular, in a Futures League game against Lotte on the 19th, he pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two walks while surrendering three runs, though he recorded a fastball velocity of up to 154 km/h.

In particular, the 26th coincides with the retirement event for Kiwoom's legend Park Byung-ho, drawing intense interest from fans. The opposing team is the Samsung Lions, where Park Jun-hyun's father, current Samsung second-team coach Park Seok-min, once played as a legend. Manager Seol expressed his expectations, saying, "If Jun-hyun can pitch without getting nervous and just throw his own pitches, he should be able to handle about five innings comfortably."

Meanwhile, Kiwoom secured its first consecutive win of the season with a victory over NC on the 21st, but two players were injured. Outfielders Lee Ju-hyung and Park Chan-hyuk, who were substituted due to injuries during the game on the 21st, have both been removed from the roster due to their injuries. Outfielders Joo Seong-won and Park Soo-jong have been added to the roster for now.

A Kiwoom official explained, "Lee Ju-hyung was diagnosed with a minor hamstring injury in his right leg following a hospital examination and is expected to begin training after about a week of rest. Park Chan-hyuk was diagnosed with an injury to the anterior talofibular ligament in his left ankle following an examination, and recovery is expected to take about four weeks."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.