"Kim Hyung-jun wrist injury, batting difficult" Starting and backup roles swapped... NC's Ahn Jung-yeol starts as catcher for second consecutive day [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

NC Dinos starting catcher Kim Hyung-jun (27) is expected to be out of the starting lineup for some time due to a wrist injury.

On the 1st, ahead of the regular-season away game against LG Twins at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, NC announced its starting lineup.

For the day, NC constructed its batting order as follows: Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Park Geon-woo (designated hitter), Matt Davidson (first baseman), Lee Woo-seong (left fielder), Han Seok-hyun (right fielder), Ahn Jung-yeol (catcher), Do Tae-hoon (third baseman), and Choi Jeong-won (center fielder). The starting pitcher was Natsuki Toda.

In response, LG constructed its batting order as follows: Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Cheon Seong-ho (third baseman), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Park Dong-won (catcher), and Gu Bon-hyeok (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Anders Tollhurst.

NC's home plate will be guarded by Ahn Jung-yeol (31) for the second consecutive day due to Kim Hyung-jun's wrist pain. Kim Hyung-jun underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment from his left hand after the end of last season, underwent rehabilitation, and also participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC). However, the aftermath continues to unfold.

Before the game, NC manager Lee Ho-jun explained, "(Kim) Hyung-jun's wrist is not in good condition. It varies depending on his daily condition. This is an injury situation that needs to be managed over a year, and it is currently a bit severe. He can play defense, but batting is not easy."

He added, "According to the training staff, while the exact injury site may differ, it could also be influenced by the previous surgery. We considered removing him from the roster, but the player's will is strong. He says there is no problem with playing defense in the 7th to 9th innings. In a way, you could say the roles of (Ahn) Jung-yeol and him have been swapped. Right now, Jung-yeol is starting, and Hyung-jun is supporting from behind."

Fortunately, Ahn Jung-yeol's recent batting form is hot. Primarily a backup, Ahn Jung-yeol has delivered solid performance this season with a .294 batting average (17 at-bats, 5 hits), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, a .333 on-base percentage, a .471 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.804 in 10 games.

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*This content was translated by AI.