An Woo-jin "Not a major injury," club statement released... but Samsung faces '16-run shock' fallout → Three FA pitchers sent to minor league

*This content was translated by AI.

While some teams breathed a sigh of relief amid concerns over the ace's injury absence, another team faced a "cold wind" by sending multiple key pitchers to the minor league. As Kiwoom Heroes' "native ace" An Woo-jin (27) takes a brief rest following a diagnosis of a minor strain, Samsung Lions, unable to recover from the shock of a heavy 17-run defeat against KIA Tigers on the 17th, took the drastic step of simultaneously removing three FA pitchers from the first-division roster.

The Kiwoom club announced on the afternoon of the 18th that ace An Woo-jin had been injured. According to the club, An Woo-jin felt discomfort in his right biceps area after making a start against Hanwha Eagles at Gocheok on the 14th and immediately underwent a cross-examination.

The detailed examination revealed a minor strain in the right biceps. Fortunately, no abnormalities were found in other sensitive areas for pitchers, such as the shoulder and elbow. With confirmation that "it is not a major injury" as stated in the club's announcement, relief was felt. Kiwoom plans to place An Woo-jin on the 10th-day injured list to ensure adequate rest. An Woo-jin will undergo treatment and training concurrently, and his return schedule will be adjusted according to his recovery progress. On this day, Kiwoom also removed outfielder Ju Sung-won and foreign batter Trenton Brooks, whose replacement was confirmed, from the first-division roster alongside An Woo-jin.

Additionally, other clubs without games on that day made some roster adjustments. Lotte Giants also removed Yoon Dong-hee, who suffered bruises to his right hip and lower back after falling in the locker room on the 16th, from the roster after determining he was unfit to play. NC Dinos attempted to reorganize their position players by excluding Heo Yoon, who had been serving as an infield backup, from the first division. KIA, which secured a decisive victory, removed pitcher Jang Jae-hyuk to allow its bullpen to catch its breath, while Doosan Bears decided to send right-handed pitcher Park Shin-ji, a long reliever and alternative starter resource, to the minor league to give him time to regain his form.

The most noticeable team was Samsung. Unlike Kiwoom, Samsung made cuts to its roster under the apparent reasons of "poor performance" and "rebuilding the mound." On the 18th, a day off, Samsung simultaneously removed three pitchers from the first-division roster: starting pitcher Choi Won-tae (29), Kim Tae-hoon (34), and right-handed Lee Seung-hyun (35). All three are FA resources, making the move even more regrettable.

This is interpreted as the fallout from the 7-16 heavy defeat against KIA Tigers in a home game at Daegu on the 17th. On that day, Samsung allowed 19 hits across all innings, leading to a complete collapse of its mound.

In fact, Samsung also had opportunities to turn the game around on that day. Starter Choi Won-tae struggled in the first and second innings, allowing five runs, and then surrendered two more in the fourth, falling behind 1-7. However, the lineup showed focus in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs to close the gap to 6-7, just one run behind. It seemed they were laying the groundwork for a comeback by holding Miyaji Yura effectively in the top of the fifth.

But the joy of a large scoring rally did not last long. Kim Tae-hoon, who entered as a reliever in the top of the sixth, was shaken after allowing a double to leadoff batter Park Min and a sacrifice fly to Park Jae-hyun. Following him, right-handed Lee Seung-hyun also showed his worst form, compounded by an infield hit, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, and an outfielder's error in right field.

Ultimately, Im Gi-young entered without finishing the inning, allowing one more runner to score on Kim Ho-ryeong's sacrifice fly, and Samsung collapsed completely by allowing five runs in the sixth inning alone. Samsung's mound was completely devastated, allowing no fewer than five hits to KIA rookie Park Jae-hyun alone, and the team eventually fell on its knees with a nine-run deficit.

The next day, on the 18th, Samsung's bench made a cold decision. The three pitchers who were most shaken during that game were immediately ordered to the minor league. Samsung, which had climbed to first place amidst a top-tier competition, found itself dropped to third place following the loss in the KIA series and now faces a new chapter. The three-game series against first-place KT Wiz, to be held in Pohang during the week, is expected to be a crucial turning point that will determine Samsung's first-half leadership race.

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*This content was translated by AI.