152 km/h Lotte rookie Park Jeong-min swapped after just five pitches: "Why?" Manager Kim Tae-hyung explains directly. "LG signaled a bunt, and we had to stop it there..." [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) directly explained on the 26th why rookie Park Jeong-min (23) was replaced after throwing only five pitches.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against LG Twins at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 27th, Manager Kim Tae-hyung stated that the decision to immediately replace Park Jeong-min was because "LG signaled a bunt."

The previous day, Park Jeong-min entered in relief in the bottom of the 8th inning with Lotte leading 3-2, replacing starting pitcher Na Gyun-an. He struggled with control against the first batter, Hong Chang-ki, issuing a walk after just five pitches. The third pitch, a fastball that was called a strike, barely grazed the edge of the strike zone by luck.

The next batter was Park Hae-min, known for his speed and expertise in bunt plays. When Park Hae-min attempted a bunt, Lotte pitching coach Kim Sang-jin came to the mound. After speaking with Park Jeong-min for a while, Kim Sang-jin replaced him with Kim Won-joong.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung explained, "We needed to bunt quickly and settle the situation. I was doubtful whether (Park) Jeong-min could throw a strike. If he kept throwing balls, a slash bunt might come up, which would be troublesome. Also, if we had to stop it there, the situation would become complicated. Since they were going to bunt anyway, it would be better to bunt early on the first pitch, so we switched to (Kim) Won-joong."

This decision did not reflect a lack of trust in Park Jeong-min. Park Jeong-min, a right-handed pitcher, graduated from Seodang Elementary, Maesong Middle, Jangchung High, and Hanil Christian University before being selected in the 2nd round, 14th overall, of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. Despite being a rookie, he has recorded 38 games, 5 wins, 2 losses, 8 holds, 1 save, an ERA of 4.50, and 38 strikeouts in 34 innings, using a powerful 152 km/h fastball as his weapon.

The only area for improvement was his struggle against the first batter. Manager Kim Tae-hyung stated, "(Park) Jeong-min seems to be putting too much effort when facing the first batter. His performance is quite inconsistent, which is a bit disappointing."

On this day, Lotte's lineup was arranged as follows: Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Go Seung-min (second baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Son Ho-young (third baseman), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Kim Jin-wook.

In response, LG's lineup was set as follows: Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Jeong-bin (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-ju (designated hitter), Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Gu Bon-hyeok (shortstop), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Lachlan Wells.

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*This content was translated by AI.