'June Batting Average 0.349' Hong Chang-ki to Bat Leadoff; Koo Bon-hyeok at Shortstop Starts; Oh Ji-hwan, Dealing with 'Back Pain', Awaits Late-Inning Pinch-Hit Role [Gwangju Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins' Hong Chang-ki (33), who has regained his batting form, will bat leadoff. Shortstop Oh Ji-hwan (36), sidelined due to back pain, has been excluded from the starting lineup.

LG announced its starting lineup for the the 16th regular-season road game against KIA Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

On this day, LG set its batting order as follows: Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Moon Sung-ju (left fielder), Song Chan-ui (designated hitter), Park Dong-won (catcher), Koo Bon-hyeok (shortstop), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). Lachlan Wells will start on the mound.

KIA countered with the following lineup: Kim Min-gyu (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-beom (designated hitter), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Byun Woo-hyeok (first baseman), Park Min (shortstop), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Jae-hyun (right fielder). Starting pitcher is Kesho Shirakawa.

Oh Ji-hwan, who was substituted in the top of the 3rd inning during the the 14th game against Jamsil Lotte Giants, was again left out of the starting lineup. At that time, Oh Ji-hwan felt pain in his back while swinging during his at-bat in the bottom of the 2nd inning.

Before the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop stated, "Oh Ji-hwan might be able to play in the later innings, but we need to monitor his condition."

Hong Chang-ki, whose batting average had stagnated at 0.230 through May, reclaimed the leadoff spot with a strong rebound in June. His June batting average stands at 0.349 (15 hits in 43 at-bats), lifting his season average to 0.255.

Manager Yeom noted, "(Hong) Chang-ki has been improving since June. We need him to perform well to maximize synergy with Austin and Moon Bo-kyung. Our team requires our top two hitters to get on base consistently."

Facing consecutive games against KIA and Doosan Bears this week, LG hopes Wells will deliver a strong start. Wells has pitched 10 games this season with a 3-2 record, a 2.63 ERA, and 45 strikeouts over 54⅔ innings, performing as a top-tier starter. Notably, against KIA this year, he has posted a 0.75 ERA in two games, establishing himself as a nemesis.

However, Wells struggled in his previous outing on the 10th against Jamsil SSG Landers, allowing five earned runs over 4⅓ innings. A strong performance today could set the stage for his next appearance on the 21st against Doosan at Jamsil.

Manager Yeom explained, "If Wells pitches today, he will start again on Sunday. We currently have no depth in our starting rotation. Wells has rested enough so far and will remain in the rotation through the All-Star break. Song Seung-gi, who was sidelined due to recent symptoms, will be evaluated after final tests and a decision will be made. For now, he is included in next week's rotation."

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*This content was translated by AI.