'Shock': Hanwha suffers another injury → Major roster shake-up: '4 removed, 3 added' Kim Kyung-moon sighs, "Constantly changing the roster isn't ideal..." [Gwangju on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Eagles, whose ranking has dropped to ninth, made significant roster changes ahead of the second of their three midweek games against KIA Tigers.

Hanwha will face KIA at 6:30 p.m. on the 6th at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field for an away regular-season game in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Hanwha lost the first of the three midweek games against KIA the previous day (5th) by a score of 7-12, falling to a two-game losing streak. Their record in the last five games is one win and four losses. With a season record of 12 wins and 19 losses, they have now slipped to ninth place.

On this day, Hanwha made major changes to its first-division roster. Veteran infielder Chae Eun-seong, along with pitchers Kim Jong-soo, Park Sang-won, and Ju Hyun-sang, were removed from the first-division roster, totaling four players.

In their place, Hanwha called up three pitchers to the first division: Lee Sang-gyu, Park Jae-gyu, and Kim Do-bin.

The removal of Chae Eun-seong from the roster stands out. Chae Eun-seong has appeared in 28 games this season, posting a batting average of 0.245 (102 at-bats, 25 hits), 2 home runs, 12 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 1 stolen base (0 failed), 8 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches, 21 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.333, an on-base percentage of 0.313, an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.646, a batting average with runners in scoring position of 0.227, and a pinch-hit batting average of 1.000.

The reason for his removal is injury. A Hanwha official explained, "He was diagnosed with a chronic sprain of the left clavicle. We advised him to rest while monitoring his pain levels."

With Chae Eun-seong removed from the first-division roster, Kim Tae-yeon has taken over as Hanwha's interim captain. Additionally, Park Sang-won, Ju Hyun-sang, and Kim Jong-soo struggled the previous day. Park Sang-won allowed 2 hits (2 home runs) and 2 earned runs in 2/3 innings; Ju Hyun-sang allowed 3 hits and 4 earned runs in 1/3 innings; and Kim Jong-soo allowed 2 hits and 1 earned run in 1 1/3 innings.

Ahead of today's game, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon commented on the roster changes, stating, "Constantly changing the roster isn't ideal," but added, "However, since our experienced players who need to pitch have been performing poorly, we decided to make some changes."

Regarding Chae Eun-seong, Manager Kim said, "He should be fine after resting for about a week."

Hanwha set its starting lineup in the following order: Hwang Young-mok (second baseman), Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop).

The starting pitcher is Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu Hyun-jin has appeared in 5 games this season, recording 2 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 3.60. Over a total of 30 innings, he allowed 27 hits (3 home runs), issued 4 walks, recorded 24 strikeouts, and gave up 15 earned runs (12 earned). His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) is 1.03, and his batting average against is 0.241. He has successfully completed a quality start (6 innings with 3 or fewer earned runs) twice this season. This is his first appearance against KIA this season.

Meanwhile, KIA set its starting lineup in the following order: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Seon-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Adellin (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Dale (shortstop), Han Jun-su (catcher), and Park Min (third baseman). Their starting pitcher is Adam Oller.

Oller has started 6 games this season, posting a record of 4 wins and 1 loss with an ERA of 1.64. Over 38 1/3 innings, he allowed 23 hits (1 home run), issued 11 walks, recorded 36 strikeouts, and gave up 8 earned runs (7 earned). His WHIP is 0.89, and his batting average against is 0.173. He has achieved a quality start four times this season. In his only appearance against Hanwha this season on April 12, he pitched 5 innings, allowed 5 hits, issued 4 walks, recorded 7 strikeouts, and gave up 2 earned runs, earning the win.

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*This content was translated by AI.