'Clutching his elbow, he collapsed to his knees': Doosan's bullpen in jeopardy, awaiting today's (1st) medical checkup results

*This content was translated by AI.

The Doosan Bears' pitching staff is facing a crisis. Yang Jae-hoon (23), a second-year pitcher and a key member of the bullpen, was substituted during the game after complaining of elbow pain.

Right-handed Yang Jae-hoon appeared as the fifth pitcher in the bottom of the 8th inning, with his team trailing 4-6, in a game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on May 31.

He allowed a ground ball single to the left side and a stolen base to second base to the first batter, Kim Sung-yoon, and gave up a hit to the center field to Koo Ja-wook, conceding one run. He then walked Choi Hyung-woo before throwing a low fastball clocked at 148 km/h on the first pitch to Diaz.

Immediately after, Yang Jae-hoon clutched the inside of his right elbow with his left hand and collapsed to his knees. He was eventually helped off the mound by trainers. A scene showing Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung (54) looking distressed in the dugout was also captured on the broadcast screen.

Doosan quickly called upon rookie left-hander Choi Ju-hyeong (20). The Doosan organization stated, "Yang Jae-hoon was substituted due to right elbow pain," and added, "A detailed medical examination is scheduled for June 1."

Yang Jae-hoon, who attended Gaeseong High School and Dong-A University of Science and Technology, was selected by Doosan in the 7th round, 66th overall, in the 2025 draft. In his first year, he appeared in 19 games (23 1/3 innings) as a relief pitcher, recording one save and an ERA of 4.24. This season, he has shouldered the bullpen's heavy workload, facing as few as two or three batters or as many as two innings, regardless of whether he was in the lead or chasing position.

In 26 of the team's 54 games, nearly half, he has pitched 24 1/3 innings, recording two wins, three losses, two holds, and an ERA of 5.92. He has appeared in more games than any other pitcher on the team except for left-hander Lee Byung-hun (23), who has appeared in 29 games.

The Doosan Bears' pitching staff this season is posting results in the upper tier among the 10th teams. With a team ERA of 4.26, they rank third, behind Samsung (4.10) and the KIA Tigers (4.17).

The starting rotation, consisting of Kwak Bin, Jack Log, Choi Seung-yong, Choi Min-seok, and Benjamin, has an ERA of 4.01, ranking second, while the bullpen ERA of 4.62 ranks fifth. Middle relievers, including Yang Jae-hoon, Kim Jeong-woo, Lee Byung-hun, Park Chi-guk, and Choi Jun-ho, have regained their stability, and Lee Young-ha (29) has effectively filled the void left by closer Kim Taek-yeon's (21) injury.

In this situation, if Yang Jae-hoon is sidelined due to injury, significant disruptions to the bullpen operations are expected. The Doosan organization is closely monitoring the results of the hospital examination on the 1st.

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*This content was translated by AI.