'Moon Hyun-bin and Sim Woo-jun both out.' Hanwha unveils 'radical' starting lineup with Kim Tae-yeon at No. 1 and Yoo Min at No. 3. "It's due to Moon Hyun-bin's fatigue..." [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

Moon Hyun-bin and Sim Woo-jun have been removed from Hanwha Eagles' starting lineup. Although the team has lost two consecutive games, the lineup reflects Hanwha's determination not to rush.

On the afternoon of the 14th, ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, Hanwha revealed a radical lineup.

Hanwha arranged the batting order with Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Yoo Min (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Lee Do-yoon (second baseman), Heo In-seo (catcher), Park Jung-hyun (shortstop), and Lee Won-seok (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Wang Yencheng.

The 'Pemun-Kang-No' lineup has been temporarily dissolved because Moon Hyun-bin will start on the bench. Moon Hyun-bin is an essential core hitter for Hanwha. In 61 games this season, he has been performing brilliantly with a batting average of 0.288 (240 at-bats, 69 hits), 9 home runs, 44 RBIs, 41 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.385, a slugging percentage of 0.496, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.881.

However, it is true that his momentum has somewhat waned recently. His batting average, which was 0.337 through April and 0.277 in May, has dropped to 0.205 (44 at-bats, 9 hits) in June.

After playing 141 games last season and participating in every autumn playoff game, Moon Hyun-bin has endured a grueling schedule, including the representative team's pre-season training in Saipan in January, the team's spring camp in February, and the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon explained, "He has been playing continuously, so he is a bit fatigued and is resting. It would be even better if Yoo Min performs well first. Since he is a left-handed pitcher, we are considering using him later if the opportunity arises."

Starting shortstop Sim Woo-jun is also taking a break. Sim Woo-jun, who signed with Hanwha as a free agent (FA) last year on a four-year, 50 billion won contract, struggled with a batting average of 0.231 in his first season, playing in only 94 games. However, he has already rebounded this season, playing in 55 games with a batting average of 0.272.

Sim Woo-jun will also start on the bench for similar reasons. Manager Kim stated, "We are past the 60th-game mark, and players who have been starting are tired. Games end late at night or start at 2 p.m., so it's not easy. We plan to wait a bit and use him at a good timing."

Yoo Min and Park Jung-hyun will fill those spots. Yoo Min, who joined the team in 2022, was called up on the 4th and played in three games. Although he is a mid-level rookie with only five at-bats so far, Manager Kim has entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of batting third. Park Jung-hyun has seized the opportunity to start at shortstop for the first time in a while.

There has also been a change at the leadoff spot. While outfielders like Lee Jin-young, Lee Won-seok, and Oh Jae-won have typically filled this role, 'Captain' Kim Tae-yeon has taken on the responsibility today. Although his batting average as a leadoff hitter this season was a disappointing 0.143 (7 at-bats, 1 hit), he is showing the hottest batting touch in the team with a season average of 0.327, so he has been tasked with setting the table for Peraza and Kang Baek-ho.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.