"Chae Eun-seong's return is scheduled for next week." Hanwha's 90-billion-won captain is finally about to return... Noh Si-hwan also says, "I miss him so much; we talk every day."

*This content was translated by AI.

"We are timing it."

Kim Kyung-moon (68), manager of the Hanwha Eagles, said this regarding Chae Eun-seong's return. The time is approaching when the lineup will be fully restored.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon met with reporters ahead of the visiting game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 26th for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. When asked about Chae Eun-seong, he said, "I saw him play today. He played until about the sixth inning and then came out. Right now, we are timing his return to be after he plays in Futures League games until next Monday, by the time we return home."

Chae Eun-seong is an indispensable player for Hanwha. Chae Eun-seong, who belonged to the LG Twins, signed a free agent (FA) contract with Hanwha for six years and 90 billion won ahead of the 2023 season. Hanwha acquired an external FA for the first time in seven years, so expectations were high.

For three seasons, he was a reliable hitter who averaged 20 home runs and 80 RBIs per season. Moreover, he wore the captain's armband and led inexperienced batters. As Chae Eun-seong had hoped, Hanwha was able to experience the Korean Series for the first time in 19 years last year.

At the beginning of this season, his batting average was 0.245, showing somewhat poor performance, and he also suffered an injury. On the 6th of last month, he was removed from the first-division roster due to a left clavicle sprain. The initial estimate that it would take about ten days was far off. It has been well over a month, and he is now preparing to return.

He has shown solid batting form in four games in the Futures League, with a batting average of 0.286 (4 hits in 14 at-bats). Manager Kim Kyung-moon is closely monitoring his performance.

Hanwha is currently third in the league with a batting average of 0.272 for the season, but their June batting average has dropped to 0.243, placing them ninth. It is painful that even Yonatan Peraza, Moon Hyun-bin, and Kang Baek-ho, who were showing hot hitting form until the middle of the season, are now slowing down.

Manager Kim said, "It's not just us; other teams also have spots that aren't firing yet. They will fire. As a manager, without such hope, the season would be too long." He added, "I believe our overall atmosphere will also become more vibrant, and the time will come when we all fire actively together," presenting a positive outlook.

Underlying this is Chae Eun-seong's return. Manager Kim said, "Of course, when he comes, it will help the young players. Things are fine when things are going well, but when they aren't, it gets a bit shaky. I think Eun-seong will come and help."

Noh Si-hwan, who also hit a decisive home run to lead the team to victory, said, "I miss him so much. That's why I contact him every day and tell him to come quickly. He told me he's working hard on his body to return." He added, "When Senior Eun-seong also returns, I think we will be able to show a truly complete lineup and even better performance."

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*This content was translated by AI.