'3 Months of Dedication, 14 Saves': Lotte's Choi Jun-yong to Step Down as Closer... Kim Won-jung Returns with June ERA of 2.08; Manager Praises Both (Choi) Jun-yong "Did a Great Job" [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants will change their closer. Kim Won-jung (33), the previous closer, will return, while Choi Jun-yong (24) will move down to set-up man. Kim Tae-hyung (59), Lotte manager, expressed gratitude toward Choi Jun-yong (24), who filled the void left by Kim Won-jung (33) for three months with excellent performance.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung announced ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the second that "Now, (Kim) Won-jung will move back to the later innings, and (Choi) Jun-yong will come forward to handle the seventh and eighth innings with Iimura. When it's truly critical, these two pitchers can enter in the sixth inning. We aim to have both of them step in during the most important moments."

Ahead of this season, Lotte positioned Choi Jun-yong as an interim closer. This was because existing closer Kim Won-jung suffered a traffic accident in December last year and could not prepare properly for the season. Choi Jun-yong has excellently filled the approximately three-month gap.

Choi Jun-yong recorded 34 games, 4 wins, 3 losses, 1 hold, and 14 saves, with an ERA of 3.09 over 35 innings and 35 strikeouts, meticulously securing Lotte's bullpen. However, he showed some decline in velocity, including giving up a bases-loaded home run to Austin Dean during the match against Busan LG Twins on the 27th, and allowing three hits in the ninth inning when he entered the previous day (the first).

In contrast, Kim Won-jung displayed a gradual return to form with an ERA of 1.13 over nine games in May and 2.08 over 14 games in June. With the addition of new Asia quota pitcher Iimura Shota, who possesses impressive velocity reaching up to 152 km/h and excellent control, the bullpen restructuring took place.

The manager has not forgotten that three months of dedication. Manager Kim Tae-hyung praised (Choi) Jun-yong by saying, "(Choi) Jun-yong also has good stuff and performed well from the start," while adding, "It seems (Kim) Won-jung's velocity and everything have returned to normal. Since he has more experience than (Choi) Jun-yong, I thought it would be better for him."

He continued, "Iimura throws with better velocity than expected every time he enters the game. He is pitching even better than anticipated. He will likely continue to enter during critical moments in the future. Yesterday, I intended to pull him out before that, but I was one inning late."

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*This content was translated by AI.