"Yoon Dong-hee still has pain" National team outfielder returns to rehab group... Han Dong-hee is about to return! Hong Min-ki and Park Jun-woo also removed from first division [Jamsil field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The return of national team outfielder Yoon Dong-hee (23, Lotte Giants) is slightly delayed.

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung updated the status of injured players on the 12th ahead of the visiting game against LG Twins in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium. To summarize, Han Dong-hee (27), who injured his inner thigh muscle, is about to return, while Yoon Dong-hee, who injured his hip joint, is not yet in a position to return.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "Han Dong-hee will play in the game, but Yoon Dong-hee is not doing well yet. He may need to stay a bit longer. Since he still has some pain, he will likely need to play in practice games with the rehab group. Han Tae-yang, Park Seung-wook, and other injured players should be somewhat ready for the first division when their dates arrive."

This is a slower return than expected. Yoon Dong-hee was selected for the final 24-man roster for the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games the previous day (11th). Due to limited age conditions and the departure of An Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), there are no experienced right-handed outfielders available. Fortunately, there are still three months until the Asian Games for both Yoon Dong-hee and the national team.

According to a Lotte club official, Yoon Dong-hee suffered a contusion to his right hip joint after a fall on May 16 and is now in the final stage of treatment. He has moved from the second division to the rehab group to increase his training volume and is currently undergoing technical training.

Lotte lined up with Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Go Seung-min (second baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Son Ho-young (third baseman), Choi Hang (designated hitter), Son Seong-bin (catcher), and Jang Du-seong (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Yelvin Rodriguez.

LG countered with Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Park Dong-won (catcher), Gu Bon-hyeok (third baseman), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Anders Tolhurst.

Lotte has been in poor form recently, with 2 wins and 8 losses in their last 10 games. As a result, they now sit at 23 wins, 1 draw, and 37 losses, ranking 9th in the league, just 1.5 games behind the last-place Kiwoom Heroes (23 wins, 1 draw, 40 losses).

The key lies in the performance of fastball pitcher Rodriguez. Rodriguez has recorded 3 wins and 5 losses in 11 games this year with an ERA of 5.56, and he did not perform well against LG, allowing 3 earned runs in 5 innings in one game.

To revitalize the atmosphere, Lotte made changes to its first division roster. They removed left-handed pitcher Hong Min-ki (25) and right-handed pitcher Park Jun-woo (21) from the first division and promoted Kim Ki-jun (22) and Kim Chang-hoon. Hong Min-ki did not record a single out the previous day, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 earned run before leaving the mound. Park Jun-woo also struggled, allowing 5 hits (including 1 home run) in 1 inning, giving up 3 runs (2 earned).

Right-handed pitcher Kim Ki-jun is making his first registration with the first division. Kim Ki-jun graduated from Daehae Elementary, Daegu Middle School, and Gyeongbuk High School before joining Lotte as the 33rd pick in the 4th round of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft. He recorded 7 wins and 1 loss in 18 Futures League games, with an ERA of 4.70, 59⅓ innings, and 42 strikeouts.

Kim Chang-hoon is returning to the first division after two years. Kim Chang-hoon graduated from Sapa Elementary, Changwon Sinwol Middle School, and Gyeongnam High School before joining Lotte as the 21st pick in the 2nd round of the 2021 KBO Rookie Draft. He had a poor ERA of 7.71 in 10 first division games, and this year in the Futures League, he recorded 2 wins and 2 losses with 2 holds in 11 games, with an ERA of 7.59.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "The decision to remove Hong Min-ki and Park Jun-woo was not made for any special reason. In the case of (Park) Jun-woo yesterday, it was fine to give up runs, but he needs to throw his own pitches. The pitches thrown to try to regain the count when the ball count becomes unfavorable lack power."

He added, "The players who were promoted have starting experience. They should be able to pitch three innings as long relievers here, and they will need to be deployed according to the situation."

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*This content was translated by AI.