'What a relief' Kiwoom's Bae Dong-hyun's finger injury is no major issue! Kiwoom manager says, "He will go as scheduled → Today's starter Park Jeong-hoon is expected to pitch about 4 innings"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes breathed a sigh of relief despite the injury setback. It was confirmed that the condition of right-handed starter Bae Dong-hyun (28), who suffered a finger injury during his start the previous day (6th), is not serious, and there are no expected disruptions to his next scheduled appearance. At the same time, left-handed starter Park Jeong-hoon (20), scheduled to start on the 7th, is expected to pitch about 4 innings.

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) met with reporters ahead of the game against Samsung Lions to be held on the 7th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, providing updates on the team's pitching staff status and future rotation plans.

Bae Dong-hyun's condition, which had raised the most concern, was fortunately reported to be minor. Bae Dong-hyun suffered a slight injury where the skin on his finger was scraped during the game the previous day (6th). Regarding this, Manager Seol stated, "There was a little bleeding, but it is reported that it did not peel or separate as much as expected. Since he will rest for five days and enter next week, we have received reports that there will be no issues for his next appearance."

Bae Dong-hyun has been a reliable starter for Kiwoom this season. In his previous 8 games, he posted a record of 4 wins and 1 loss with an ERA of 2.34. Although he became the season's first losing pitcher in the Samsung game on the 6th, allowing 5 hits (1 home run) in 5 innings, issuing 3 walks and 2 earned runs, he remains tied for first place in the league in wins.

Regarding Park Jeong-hoon, who is starting today, specific guidelines were provided. Manager Seol Jong-jin explained, "We are considering Park Jeong-hoon to pitch about 4 innings with a pitch count of around 70 to 75 pitches. The training staff has also assessed that his shoulder condition and overall fitness are fine."

Park Jeong-hoon has appeared in 14 games this season, recording 1 win, 0 losses, 6 holds, and an ERA of 2.70, establishing himself as a top-tier relief pitcher in the league. In his previous game on the 2nd against Doosan at Gocheok, he also pitched 2 innings and delivered a strong performance. However, Manager Seol added, "At that time, the ball was moving so well and the pitch count was low, so we had him pitch 2 innings. It was not a build-up specifically for today's start from the beginning," noting that the previous situation was not the direct catalyst for his start today.

Regarding the return timeline for starter Ha Young-min, who is recovering from an injury, a cautious stance was maintained. Manager Seol stated, "Even if Ha Young-min returns this week, he will need time to get his body back into shape. We are looking at the weekend of next week at the earliest, but since he is still in the catch-throw phase, it will be difficult to set a precise appearance date." He confirmed that the scheduled two-turn rest period will continue.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom set its starting lineup against Samsung starter Won Tae-in as follows: Park Ju-hong (right fielder), Ju Sung-won (designated hitter), An Chi-hong (second baseman), Choi Ju-hwan (first baseman), Im Byung-wook (left fielder), Yang Hyeon-jong (third baseman), Kim Geon-hee (second baseman), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Park Soo-jong (center fielder).

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*This content was translated by AI.