'Finally' first division return! Talent compared to KIA's Kim Do-young → Starts immediately today (12th), manager expresses high expectations: "He must have come up with the right mindset" [Gwangju on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers will play a crucial three-game series against Doosan Bears, who are tied with them in the standings.

KIA will face Doosan at 6:30 p.m. on the 12th at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field for a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game.

Both KIA and Doosan have recorded 17 wins, 1 draw, and 19 losses this season, placing them jointly in fifth place in the league. Depending on the results of this three-game series, the gap between the two teams could widen by up to three games, making this a critical series.

For today's game, KIA set its starting lineup as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Seon-bin (designated hitter), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Adellin (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Yoon Do-hyun (second baseman), Han Jun-su (catcher), and Park Min (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Adam Olerda.

Changes were also made to the first division roster. KIA, which had removed infielder Dale from the first division roster the previous day (11th) under the Asian quota, called up Yoon Do-hyun to the first division today. As soon as Yoon Do-hyun was registered on the first division roster, he was given an unexpected starting opportunity. Yoon Do-hyun is an infielder who garnered high expectations during his middle and high school years for his batting talent, which was often compared to that of Kim Do-young. However, he has also faced bad luck with frequent injuries since joining KIA.

Yoon Do-hyun was hit in the left foot by a foul ball in the first inning of the Jamsil LG Twins game on the 1st, and was substituted before the third-inning defense. A medical examination diagnosed a simple contusion, and he was ultimately removed from the first division roster on April 4.

Yoon Do-hyun has recorded a batting average of 0.167 (3 hits in 18 at-bats), 1 run scored, 1 stolen base, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.378 in five games this season. In the Futures League, he played a total of three games starting from the match against KT Wiz Futures Team on the 9th, posting a batting average of 0.250 (2 hits in 8 at-bats), 2 walks, and 1 run scored.

Before today's game, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho commented on Yoon Do-hyun: "Although he has played few games in the Futures League, he has played many games in the reserve squad. There should be no issues with his game feel. The opposing left-handed pitcher (Doosan's starter) will appear twice in this three-game series. We were thinking of a second baseman with offensive power, and Yoon Do-hyun, whose position overlaps with Dale, was available."

He continued, "I hope he shows grit. If he is a promising player, he must ultimately prove himself with his skills. A month and a half has passed while he was wavering. If he misses this timing, another two and a half months will go by. I just saw him briefly and told him I hope he shows determination. In baseball, young players can change their actual skills depending on their mindset. I believe he came up this time with the right mindset."

KIA's starting pitcher Olerda has appeared in seven games this season, recording 4 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.44. Over a total of 44⅓ innings, he allowed 30 hits (2 home runs), issued 14 walks, recorded 40 strikeouts, and gave up 13 runs (12 earned). His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) is 0.99, and his batting average against is 0.191. He has achieved four quality starts (six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs).

Against Doosan this season, Olerda started one game on the 18th of last month, pitching 6⅓ innings, allowing 4 hits, issuing 2 walks, hitting 2 batters, striking out 5, and giving up 2 runs (1 earned), leaving the mound without a decision.

Meanwhile, facing KIA, Doosan set its starting lineup as follows: Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Cameron (right fielder), Hong Seong-ho (designated hitter), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Jung Soobin (center fielder), Park Ji-hoon (third baseman), and Oh Myung-jin (first baseman). The starting pitcher is left-handed pitcher Choi Seung-yong.

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*This content was translated by AI.