'Explosion of 4 Hits and 2 RBIs in the 1st Division': Lee Do-hyun Called Up to the First Team! Helps Debut of Japan's ShiraKawa After 2 Years [Gwangju Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers' new Asia quota player Keisho ShiraKawa (25) makes his return to the KBO.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season home game against Lotte Giants at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 4th, KIA announced its starting lineup.

On this day, KIA set its batting order as Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Seon-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Adellin Rodriguez (designated hitter), Oh Sun-woo (first baseman), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Kim Gyu-seong (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Keisho ShiraKawa.

This marks ShiraKawa's return to the Korean KBO League after two years. Last year, in 2024, ShiraKawa played as a temporary substitute foreign player for SSG Landers and Doosan Bears, recording 12 games, 4 wins, 5 losses, an ERA of 5.65, 57⅓ innings, 36 walks and hit-by-pitches (33 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches), and 46 strikeouts.

Afterward, he left Korea to undergo elbow surgery and signed an Asia quota contract last month on the 28th with a total value of $100,000 (bonus $20,000, salary $40,000, option $40,000) to replace Jered Day.

ShiraKawa, who joined the KIA player squad on the 2nd, said, "I believe my performance now can be compared to that of two years ago. I want to show an even better performance than before. The difference lies in my control. Also, due to the injury, I have made changes in preparation to avoid getting injured again."

Before the game, KIA also made changes to its first-team roster. Along with ShiraKawa, infielder Lee Do-hyun (23) was registered to the first team to assist. This year, Lee Do-hyun, who shuttled between the first and second teams due to injuries and poor performance, recorded a batting average of 0.172 (5 hits in 29 at-bats), 1 RBI, 1 run, and 1 stolen base in 10 first-team games, with an on-base percentage of 0.200 and a slugging percentage of 0.172.

However, Lee Do-hyun boosted expectations by performing well in a Futures League game against Lotte Giants' second team in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do, the previous day (3rd), recording 4 hits including a double in 5 at-bats, 2 RBIs, 1 stolen base, and 2 runs. Their spots were vacated by pitcher Kim Geon-guk and infielder Choi Jeong-yong.

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*This content was translated by AI.