'Moon Bo-kyung absent from the fourth spot in the lineup' Cheon Seong-ho takes over! LG's Lee Jae-won returns to seventh spot and left field... Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop: "It's heartbreaking, but it's an opportunity for other players" [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

A wind of change blew through the LG Twins' starting lineup amid a surge of injured players.

On the 6th, LG announced its starting lineup for the home game against the Doosan Bears in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, to be held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

On this day, LG constructed its lineup as follows: Hong Chang-ki (right fielder)-Shin Min-jae (second baseman)-Austin Dean (first baseman)-Cheon Seong-ho (third baseman)-Song Chan-ui (designated hitter)-Park Hae-min (center fielder)-Park Dong-won (catcher)-Koo Bon-hyeok (shortstop)-Lee Jae-won (left fielder). The starting pitcher was Im Chan-kyu.

There was one change after the lineup announcement. As Park Dong-won (36), who had not started the previous day (5th) due to back pain, showed improvement, the catcher position was changed from Lee Ju-heon to Park Dong-won. Consequently, Lee Jae-won moved to the seventh spot behind Park Hae-min, and Koo Bon-hyeok and Lee Jae-won were pushed back one spot each from their original positions.

Despite winning the previous day (5th), LG could not smile freely. National team third baseman Moon Bo-kyung (26) and backup center fielder Choi Won-young (23) left the game due to ankle injuries while running the bases. Both players underwent examinations on the 5th and detailed tests on the 6th. Moon Bo-kyung was diagnosed with a left ankle ligament injury, with rehabilitation expected to take 4–5 weeks, while Choi Won-young suffered a right ankle ligament injury, with rehabilitation expected to take 7–8 weeks.

Naturally, there were significant changes to the first-division roster. Before the game, infielder Moon Bo-kyung, outfielder Choi Won-young, and right-handed pitcher Lee Jong-jun (25) were removed from the first-division roster. They were replaced by right-handed pitcher Bae Jae-jun (32), outfielder Lee Jae-won (27), and infielder Kim Sung-jin (26).

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who met with reporters before the game, said firmly, "(Moon) Bo-kyung got hurt, which is disappointing and heartbreaking, but I think positively. With Bo-kyung out, more opportunities will go to (Lee) Jae-won, (Kim) Sung-jin, and (Song) Chan-ui. Whether results come or not, I believe there will be definite improvements for these players, both personally and for the team, in the second half of this year or next year."

Especially for Lee Jae-won, this is a golden opportunity. Lee Jae-won dominated the Futures League (second-division league) last year while serving in the Army (Munhwa) and returned to the first division this year. However, he showed his worst performance in the regular season with a .063 batting average (16 at-bats, 1 hit), 3 walks or hit-by-pitches (2 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch), 11 strikeouts, a .211 on-base percentage, and a .063 slugging percentage, eventually being sent down to the second division.

The second-division stage was once again a place of bombardment for him. In 9 Futures League games, Lee Jae-won posted a .438 batting average (32 at-bats, 14 hits), 8 RBIs, 9 runs scored, 8 walks, 5 strikeouts, a .550 on-base percentage, and a .531 slugging percentage, generating expectations.

Kim Sung-jin, who rose up with him, is also a promising position player who showed good form in the Futures League. Kim Sung-jin graduated from Suwon Sin-gok Elementary, Maehyang Middle, and Yatab High School, and was drafted by LG in the 2019 KBO Rookie Draft, 2nd round, 7th round, 65th overall pick. He is a right-handed batter and right-handed thrower infielder.

In this year's Futures League, he drew expectations with a .385 batting average (91 at-bats, 35 hits), 1 home run, 25 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 8 walks or hit-by-pitches (5 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches), 17 strikeouts, a .430 on-base percentage, and a .505 slugging percentage across 27 games.

There is also anticipation for the veterans at the start of the season. Manager Yeom stated, "Given the flow, it's time for (Park) Dong-won and (Oh) Ji-hwan to bat. I think they will fill that role. (Moon) Sung-ju and (Moon) Bo-kyung are expected to return around the same time, and I believe that empty space will be an opportunity for (Koo) Bon-hyeok and (Cheon) Seong-ho to grow to the next level."

He continued, "I think the team can move in such a positive direction. The disappointment is what it is, and the game is the game. Last year, when (Hong) Chang-ki was absent, we thought it would be the end, but with him gone, opportunities went to other players, which brought out positive elements."

The fourth spot in the lineup, vacant due to Moon Bo-kyung's absence, is expected to change actively for the time being. For now, Cheon Seong-ho, who has been in good batting form with a .318 batting average over his last 10 games, will fill the spot. Manager Yeom explained, "We plan to use a player with fewer strikeouts behind Austin as the fourth batter. It means taking chances when not going head-to-head with Austin. It's better for a player with a lower strikeout rate than a high strikeout rate to bat fourth when runners are on base."

He added, "Even without a hit, a batter who can score RBIs focusing on contact is the most efficient way for us to score runs when batting fourth."

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*This content was translated by AI.