"Ha Young-min to remain in the bullpen" Kiwoom makes bold move! Even if An Woo-jin returns to the rotation, he is expected to stay fixed in the bullpen

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes is making bold changes to its pitching staff roles to secure a team victory. The team plans to move Ha Young-min, who is nearly a starter-level resource, to the bullpen to strengthen the late-inning defense, while also bringing back left-handed pitcher Park Jeong-hoon to the weekend roster to reorganize the starting rotation. Even if An Woo-jin returns to the rotation, Ha Young-min is expected to remain fixed in the bullpen.

Manager Seol Jong-jin met with reporters ahead of the KIA Tigers game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 28th, and dismissed the possibility of Ha Young-min returning to the rotation, stating, "Ha Young-min will continue to be used in the bullpen going forward."

Manager Seol stated, "The current starting rotation is already fully set," and added, "The move to shift Ha Young-min to the bullpen is aimed at strengthening the team's bullpen. To win games, the middle and closing innings must be solidly covered, so we have planned to utilize Ha Young-min in various roles." This bold move is interpreted as a strategic calculation by Manager Seol to firmly close out games in the later innings based on the stability of the starting rotation.

Ha Young-min is nearly a starter-level resource. He has been part of the starting rotation throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. This season, he has started in all games except one. However, due to team circumstances, he is currently on standby in the bullpen. In this season, Ha Young-min has appeared in eight games with a record of 2 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 4.58. He made his second appearance as a reliever in the game against NC on the 16th, following Rosenburg, who needed a pitching workload buildup. He will now officially begin his role as a relief pitcher.

The vacancy left by Ha Young-min in the starting rotation will be filled anew according to injuries and roster adjustments. In particular, Park Jeong-hoon, who is currently excluded from the roster, is scheduled to return as the starter for the KT Wiz game on the 30th.

Manager Seol revealed the weekend rotation plan, saying, "Park Jeong-hoon can return to the roster on Saturday." He also hinted that the weekend series plan is complete by announcing that Park Jun-hyun will start as the pitcher on Sunday, May 31.

Meanwhile, regarding An Woo-jin's appearance schedule, which had raised concerns due to blisters on his fingers, the team plans to make a decision after observing his condition more carefully. Manager Seol added, "We need to check the condition of the blisters on his fingers," and stated, "We will make a final decision on his return timing by observing his appearance date and condition around Tuesday, June 2."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.