'Elbow contusion' Sugimoto – 'Recent 3G ERA 10.95' Oh Won-seok and Sugimoto both demoted from the first division; the manager is also in a gloomy mood: "The kids are bright, but I'm not" [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The players (have bright expressions), but I'm not bright. I must be the only one worrying."

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) burst into a hearty laugh as he looked at his cheerful players.

KT announced its starting lineup for the away game against Doosan Bears in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, to be held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 28th.

On this day, KT set its batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Sam Hilliard (center fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Ryu Hyun-in (first baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Ko Young-pyo.

In response, Doosan set its batting order as follows: Jung Soobin (center fielder), Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Park Ji-hoon (third baseman), Daz Cameron (right fielder), Yang Ui-ji (designated hitter), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Kang Seung-ho (first baseman), Yoon Jun-ho (catcher), and Lee Yu-chan (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Kwak Bin.

Before the game, Asian quota right-handed pitcher Sugimoto Kouki and left-handed pitcher Oh Won-seok were both demoted from the first division. The spot was temporarily filled by right-handed pitcher Kim Min-su. Sugimoto was replaced the previous day after being hit in the elbow by a ground ball from Cho Su-haeng in the bottom of the sixth inning. He will also undergo re-evaluation. Sugimoto has not been performing well recently, with an ERA of 9.35 over his last 10 games.

Before the game, manager Lee Kang-cheol explained, "Sugimoto has been diagnosed with an elbow contusion. It doesn't look like he'll be able to throw for a while. Injuries usually heal in about ten days, but a ball doesn't recover in ten days. His fastball velocity was off, so he switched from throwing a four-seam fastball to a two-seam fastball, but he got hit with that too. He has nothing to throw against left-handed batters. We're trying various adjustments."

Oh Won-seok, who became the losing pitcher the previous day (27th) after pitching four innings and allowing five runs (four earned), will also take a break. Oh had been performing well in April, posting a 2.22 ERA in five games, but his ERA has been poor at 10.95 over his last three games. The vacancy will be filled by right-handed pitcher Han Cha-hyun (28), who has been performing well in this year's Futures League with 11 games, 2 wins, 3 losses, and a 3.38 ERA.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "Oh Won-seok has been hit hard in three consecutive recent games. His velocity has been dropping consistently. He was throwing 146–147 km/h early in the season, but now he's only reaching the early 140s. At times like this, I thought it would be better to rest him as soon as possible. We plan to use Han Cha-hyun in his place."

In the dugout where the manager's interview took place, Oh Won-seok and Ahn Hyun-min, both demoted from the first division, were wandering around. Although they couldn't play in the game, the two brightened the atmosphere by mingling with the players, which somehow made the manager feel a bit grumpy.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "Oh Won-seok once had a forearm injury, and in Pohang, he developed a sore throat. He bulked up, but it seems he used it all up in Australia. Yesterday he said he felt fine physically, but he seemed to have a headache. I'll just have to ask him directly," and then called Oh Won-seok over.

Upon arriving, Oh Won-seok pointed to his head and chest upon hearing this and replied slyly, "Yesterday was the worst. Please take a look at me just once!" This made manager Lee Kang-cheol laugh helplessly.

Next, Ahn Hyun-min made the manager sigh. Ahn, who is currently rehabilitating from a hamstring injury sustained last month, has recently begun technical training and is preparing with the goal of mid-June. This week's series includes games in the metropolitan area, so he accompanied the first-division team for the first time in a while. When the manager asked, "(Ahn) Hyun-min, are you smiling?", Ahn cheerfully replied, "I will work hard."

In response, manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "These days, if the kids can't even talk... I'm the only one who isn't bright. I think I'm the only one worrying." He then added, "Now that I think about it, maybe I don't need to worry. Isn't our win-loss margin plus eight?" and shook his head repeatedly.

According to a KT club official, Ahn Hyun-min will join the Futures League team in Iksan, Jeonbuk, after undergoing a medical checkup on the 29th to participate in running, batting, and other technical training. Oh Won-seok will accompany the first-division team.

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*This content was translated by AI.