'Kim Seo-hyun and coach Yang Sang-moon' removed from first-division roster due to 'health reasons'... What about Hanwha's pitching staff? [Daejeon field report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Following Kim Seo-hyun (22) being sent to the minor league the previous day, coach Yang Sang-moon (65) has now also been removed from the first-division roster. The Hanwha Eagles player roster is undergoing consecutive changes.

On the 28th, ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against SSG Landers at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, Hanwha Eagles announced the removal of coach Yang Sang-moon from the roster.

The club explained, "Coach Yang Sang-moon is scheduled to be removed from the roster today due to health reasons," adding, "Coach Yang requested this after meeting with the manager upon arriving at work."

This raises concerns that the pitching staff, already in poor form, could become even more chaotic. Hanwha, which reached the Korean Series for the first time in 19 years last season by competing for first place based on its pitching strength, has seen its pitching power significantly weaken this season.

It is not easy to fill the voids left by Cody Ponce (Toronto) and Ryan Weiss (Houston), who served as the league's strongest one-two punch.

The more serious issue is the bullpen. After the season, Kim Beom-su became a free agent (FA), Lee Tae-yang (both KIA) was selected in the second draft, and Han Seung-hyeok (KT) left as a FA compensation player for Kang Baek-ho. The team focused more on strengthening the lineup and believed it could entrust the late innings to pitchers other than those mentioned.

Having faced every team once, Hanwha has played 24 games so far, sitting in a tie for seventh place with a record of 10 wins and 14 losses. The team's ERA stands at 5.23, the lowest in the league, with the bullpen particularly struggling at 6.57.

A major factor is that Kim Seo-hyun, who ranked second in saves last season, has been unable to secure his position. In 11 games, he pitched 8 innings with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, 1 save, and an ERA of 9.00, performing poorly before finally being sent to the minor league on the 27th.

Jung Woo-ju, who showed the qualities of a top rookie last season and made the national team, recorded 4 holds without a win or loss but has a very high ERA of 7.59. Park Sang-won is in the same situation with an ERA of 12.00. While Kim Jong-soo (1.80), Jo Dong-wook (2.08), and Jack Cushing (1.29), who is temporarily serving as the closer as a substitute foreign pitcher, are fulfilling their roles, the overall pitching strength remains insufficient.

With coach Yang Sang-moon also leaving the first division, the key now is how to restore the team's morale. Coach Park Seung-min will fill Yang's vacancy. The gap left by Kim Seo-hyun's move to the minor league has been filled by Won Jong-hyeok.

On this day, Hanwha set its lineup in the following order: Hwang Young-mok (second baseman), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Heo In-seo (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Wang Yencheng.

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*This content was translated by AI.