'With' Kim Sang-jin, Jeon Jun-woo, Baek Yong-hwan, Jung Cheol-won, and Yu Gangnam all sent to the 2nd division! Lotte also completely overhauled its pitching, battery coaches, captain, and winning pitcher lineup. [Gwangju Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

After suffering a shocking comeback loss on the previous day (the 2nd) with catcher Son Seong-bin, Lotte Giants made significant changes to its first-division roster.

Ahead of its road game against KIA Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 3rd in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, Lotte shook up its first-division roster.

A massive change involving the removal and registration of as many as 12 individuals, including coaches and players, has drawn considerable attention. The most notable changes are the removal of Lotte first-division pitching coach Kim Sang-jin and first-division battery coach Baek Yong-hwan. They have been replaced by Futures League pitching coach Kim Hyun-wook and Futures League battery coach Yong Deok-han, who have joined the team in Gwangju. This move was aided by the fact that a Futures League game between Lotte and KIA was held in Hampyeong.

The changes appear to be aimed at revitalizing the team's atmosphere. The previous day, Lotte squandered a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the 9th inning with one out and a runner on second base. Catcher Son Seong-bin missed a slider from Choi Jun-yong during Han Jun-su's at-bat, allowing the ball to drop behind him. Meanwhile, second baseman Kim Gyu-seong advanced to third base. Ultimately, Han Jun-su hit the ball to center field, allowing Kim Gyu-seong to score and ending the game.

The changes to the player roster are also significant. Captain Jeon Jun-woo, along with winning pitcher Jung Cheol-won, catcher Yu Gangnam, and promising outfielder Kim Dong-hyun, were all sent to the 2nd division. They were replaced by the call-ups of catcher Jeong Bo-geun, outfielder Jo Se-jin, infielder Choi Hang, and right-handed pitcher Lee Jin-ha.

Jung Cheol-won provided the opportunity for defeat by immediately surrendering a tying home run to Na Sung-beom in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Lotte was trailing 4-3. He then issued a walk to Kim Sun-bin, failing to record a single out before being replaced by Park Jung-min. Jung Cheol-won's current record stands at 24 games, 1 win, 2 losses, 3 holds, and an ERA of 6.05.

Jeon Jun-woo and Yu Gangnam, who have been struggling with prolonged batting slumps, could not hold on. Jeon Jun-woo's batting average over the last 10 games was 0.259, while his regular season average is only 0.231. His OPS is a mere 0.579. Yu Gangnam fared even worse, with a batting average of 0.222 over the last 10 games.

Lotte's lineup today consisted of Hwang Seong-bin (center field), Go Seung-min (right field), Victor Reyes (designated hitter), Na Seung-yeop (first base), Son Ho-young (third base), Han Tae-yang (second base), Jo Se-jin (left field), Son Seong-bin (catcher), and Kim Se-min (shortstop). Starting pitcher Kim Jin-wook.

KIA countered with a lineup featuring Park Jae-hyun (left field), Adelin Rodriguez (first base), Kim Do-young (third base), Na Sung-beom (right field), Kim Sun-bin (designated hitter), Han Jun-su (catcher), Kim Ho-ryeong (center field), Park Min (shortstop), and Kim Gyu-seong (second base). Starting pitcher Hwang Dong-ha.

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*This content was translated by AI.