'LG ERA 2.00, Peak Performance' Rosenburg, Targeted Starter? Kiwoom Manager Denies "No Such Intent"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) drew a clear line against speculation that the team's replacement foreign pitcher, Kenny Rosenburg (31), was deployed as a "targeted starter" aimed at a specific team.

Manager Seol Jong-jin met with reporters at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 22nd ahead of the LG Twins game. When asked if Rosenburg's scheduled appearance was a targeted move against the LG Twins, he denied it, stating, "No. There was absolutely no such intent."

Rosenburg previously faced LG in the 2025 season, appearing in three games with a record of 1 win and 1 loss, an ERA of 2.00, and a batting average against of 0.188, demonstrating formidable strength. He pitched a total of 18 innings across those three games, averaging six innings per game. Consequently, speculation arose that this appearance was also a targeted matchup against LG, but Manager Seol explained it was a natural outcome resulting from the team's starting rotation schedule and the physical condition of other pitchers. This season, Rosenburg recorded 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run in a game against NC on the 16th.

Manager Seol stated, "From the moment Rosenburg arrived, the plan was set to have him pitch in the first game against the NC Dinos." He added, "The reason Ha Young-min, who was used in relief after Rosenburg in the NC game, was moved to start against SSG first is that An Woo-jin was experiencing some discomfort." He further noted, "Ha Young-min pitched 3 1/3 innings in the NC game with a low pitch count, and he was deployed just three days later." He concluded, "Rosenburg is simply continuing the originally planned starting rotation."

Ultimately, he reiterated that the natural formation of a six-pitcher rotation resulted from the gap left by An Woo-jin's injury and Ha Young-min's irregular appearance schedule, and Rosenburg's appearance date simply coincided.

Regarding Rosenburg's pitch count on this day, the manager said, "We are thinking around 70 to 80 pitches. We are planning for him to pitch about five innings." Expecting him to handle the innings normally after resting following his first appearance, he expressed hope for a standard performance.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom, currently on a four-game winning streak, set their starting lineup against LG starter Lee Jeong-yong as follows: Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Im Byung-wook (right fielder), Choi Ju-hwan (first baseman), Lee Hyung-jong (left fielder), Kim Woong-bin (third baseman), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Park Ju-hong (center fielder). Initially, Seo Geon-chang was the designated hitter and Ahn Chi-hong the second baseman, but their defensive positions were swapped just before the game.

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*This content was translated by AI.