'Hong Chang-gi Excluded from 2G Starting Lineup for Consecutive Games' — LG Lineup Announced for Victory Streak Attempt! 158 km/h Power Pitcher Replacement Foreign Investor Finally Joins First Division [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

The LG Twins, having snapped their losing streak, are now aiming for another victory streak.

On the 10th, LG announced its starting lineup for the home game against SSG Landers at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

For the day, LG set its batting order as Park Hae-min (center fielder), Moon Sung-ju (left fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Song Chan-ui (right fielder), Park Dong-won (catcher), Koo Bon-hyuk (third baseman), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Lachlan Wells.

The day before (on the 9th), LG gained the upper hand in a starting pitcher showdown and easily moved through the game. LG's Im Chan-kyu pitched five innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out three, giving up only one earned run to secure his sixth win (one loss) of the season. He also celebrated a double achievement by reaching 1,148 career strikeouts, moving into first place all-time in franchise history for strikeouts.

Expectations are high for whether Wells can continue this momentum. This season, Wells has appeared in nine games with a record of three wins and two losses, an ERA of 1.97, 50⅓ innings pitched, 41 strikeouts, a batting average against of 0.195, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.95, delivering performances comparable to a top-tier starter. This marks his first appearance against SSG.

There were also changes to the first division roster ahead of the game. Right-handed reliever Kim Kang-ryul and infielder Son Yong-jun were removed from the first division, with Yacel Riojas and Kang Min-gyun taking their places.

Riojas is a right-handed pitcher who throws a fastball reaching speeds up to 158 km/h. He joined LG on the 3rd, replacing Yoni Chirinos. LG stated, "Riojas is a power pitcher who throws fast and pitches aggressively. As a right-handed pitcher with strong stuff, he showed great form in the 2026 WBC. We expect him to become a major asset to our pitching staff upon joining the team."

Before the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "Riojas can start today. He has fully adjusted to the time difference. I've seen him train and pitch, and he looks good. We have no plans to make him pitch on three consecutive days. He is a key player we need to utilize effectively through the Korean Series. He is one of our core assets; if he gets injured, he becomes useless. We will not overuse him just because he is a foreign player. We plan to use him appropriately as a core asset."

The team must also prepare for a potential slump from Son Ju-young, who has been serving as the closer since the middle of the season for the first time this year. Manager Yeom emphasized, "Son Ju-young is our closer, but he could falter. If he struggles consecutively, Riojas can step in comfortably. For now, we view both Son Ju-young and Riojas as core players."

Time was also given to Hong Chang-gi, who was excluded from the starting lineup for two consecutive days. Facing his first career free agency after this season ends, Hong has posted a batting average of 0.232 (44 hits in 190 at-bats) and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.652 in 55 games this season, which is not good. The coaching staff intended to give Hong time to adjust.

Manager Yeom explained, "Hong will train until tomorrow. There is certainly a psychological factor behind his slump. He is struggling in what is likely the most important year of his baseball career. The slump should be short, but since it has lasted longer, he must be feeling mentally more difficult than anyone else."

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*This content was translated by AI.