'3 strikeouts in 3 at-bats the day before' Yang Seok-hwan left out of the starting lineup again! Oh Myung-jin starts at first base, Yang Ui-ji designated hitter

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears veteran first baseman Yang Seok-hwan (35) has been left out of the starting lineup again. Amid severe hitting struggles and a worst-case scenario of '3 strikeouts' the day before, he will take time to rest and regroup.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game against Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 3rd, Doosan removed Yang Seok-hwan from the starting lineup and made a lineup change by inserting Oh Myung-jin at first base.

Doosan's lineup for the day was Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Cameron (right fielder), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yang Ui-ji (designated hitter), Ahn Jae-seok (third baseman), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Jung Soobin (center fielder), Kim Ki-yeon (catcher), and Oh Myung-jin (first baseman). On the mound, right-handed ace Kwak Bin will face Kiwoom's starting pitcher Park Jun-hyun.

Yang Seok-hwan's struggles are not ordinary. Playing in 27 games this season, he is batting just .205 (18 hits in 88 at-bats), with both his slugging percentage (.273) and on-base percentage (.260) falling short of expectations. Especially in the game against Kiwoom the day before, he went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts, failing to capitalize on opportunities. His OPS (on-base plus slugging), a key indicator of offensive production, has dropped to .533.

The most painful aspect is his batting average in scoring position: 0 (0 hits in 17 at-bats). As a veteran who should serve as a problem-solver in the team's core lineup, his silence in every crucial situation has also weakened the team's overall offensive cohesion. Manager Kim Won-hyeong recently explained the background in an interview, saying, "(Yang) Seok-hwan puts in a lot of effort during practice, but it's disappointing that it hasn't translated into results in games. When the flow isn't good, resting for a day or so will help both him and the team."

Oh Myung-jin will fill Yang Seok-hwan's spot. Manager Kim had hinted at a competitive system ahead of the game on the 1st, stating, "If (Oh) Myung-jin performs well, he can get an opportunity." The key point to watch in today's game is whether Oh Myung-jin, who seized the chance by capitalizing on the starter's slump, can deliver hits at Gocheok and meet the manager's expectations.

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

*This content was translated by AI.