'Shock': Hanwha's Jung Woo-ju drops out → Ryu Hyun-jin's weighty comfort: "There will be another chance; it's too early to be disappointed..." The manager also offered support [Daejeon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Korea baseball's living legend' Ryu Hyun-jin (39) sent a message of comfort to his junior teammate Jung Woo-ju (20), who was left off the team.

Hanwha secured a 5-1 victory over KIA in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Volleyball Park on the 11th.

With this win, Hanwha improved to 32 wins, 1 tie, and 28 losses, narrowing the gap with KIA to '0'. Hanwha, with a winning percentage of 0.533, moved up to fourth place, pushing KIA, which had a winning percentage of 0.532, down to fifth.

The top contributor to the day's victory was Ryu Hyun-jin. Making his start, Ryu Hyun-jin delivered a strong performance over 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, issuing 1 walk, recording 5 strikeouts, and giving up 1 earned run, securing his eighth win of the season. With this victory, Ryu Hyun-jin took sole possession of first place in the wins category.

The manager also spared no praise for Ryu Hyun-jin's pitching. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said after the game, "Ryu Hyun-jin has been showing good form in every game. Today, too, he led the team to victory with another nice pitching performance," offering high praise.

In an interview with reporters after the game, Ryu Hyun-jin said, "I thought I would pitch for about 5 innings at most, but by reducing my pitch count from the second inning, I was able to go through the sixth. Making decisions early in the count also helped. That allowed me to carry the innings through the sixth."

Ryu Hyun-jin returned to the KBO League stage in the 2024 season. Yet, as time passes, he continues to show even better form.

Regarding the secret to his success, he said, "I don't think there's anything special. It seems that as we play, we are often in a position of leading, so I feel more comfortable pitching on the mound. Also, it seems that when I come in, the team scores well. In the past, I pitched with the mindset that I shouldn't give up runs when runners were on base. However, as the score difference grew, I started pitching with the thought that giving up one run is acceptable, and it seems this has led to good results."

Today, the roster for the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games baseball national team was announced. Among Hanwha players, Noh Si-hwan and Moon Hyun-bin were selected, but the name of Jung Woo-ju, who participated in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, did not appear.

Jung Woo-ju earned his first win in the game against Lotte Giants on the 6th. However, his performance this season stands at 1 win, 2 losses, 5 holds, and an ERA of 6.83, showing somewhat poor form. After his first win, Jung Woo-ju said, "I think I was very focused on the Asian Games in the early part of the season, which may have led to worse results. I think I need to clear my mind. Before the national team, I belong to Hanwha Eagles. If I perform well according to the trust given by our manager and coaches, it will be good for the team and for me as well."

And ultimately, Jung Woo-ju sadly had to face defeat. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon, the team's commander, said, "There will be another timing. It may be regrettable, but I hope you don't let your body and mind get too hurt by it," offering comfort.

Additionally, 'Veteran' Ryu Hyun-jin sent a weighty message of comfort and encouragement to Jung Woo-ju: "He is still a young player, and there will be another chance. It's too early to be disappointed. He will be the most disappointed himself. But this has already happened. Don't be disappointed; there are still season games ahead. I hope he does his best within the role he can play."

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*This content was translated by AI.