Doosan 'Again' Anticipates a Blockbuster Trade! Dropped from Opening Roster → ERA 1.67 Dramatic Turnaround, Manager Praises "Made a Big Contribution"

*This content was translated by AI.

Signs of another blockbuster trade are emerging for Doosan Bears. The protagonist is right-handed pitcher Kim Jung-woo (27), who joined Doosan in a trade three years ago.

On the 2nd, at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, in a home game against Lotte Giants during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, Kim Jung-woo pitched 1⅔ innings without allowing a single strikeout, surrendering just one hit and one walk while remaining scoreless, leading Doosan to an 8-3 victory.

His performance successfully repelled Lotte's late rally. With Lotte trailing 0-6 in the bottom of the 8th inning with one out and runners on first and second bases, Victor Reyes hit a three-run home run to center field, shifting momentum. Closer Lee Young-ha was unable to appear after throwing 34 pitches the previous day (the 1st), so Kim Jung-woo took the mound.

Even in the difficult situation facing Lotte's cleanup hitters, Kim Jung-woo remained composed. He struck out Han Dong-hee with two strikes using a fastball and slider, then threw a slider as a decoy pitch. Following that, he delivered a low-falling fastball, causing Han Dong-hee to miss his swing entirely, resulting in a ground ball to third base.

Jeon Min-jae's at-bat was similar. Kim Jung-woo missed with the second pitch outside the zone, then induced a swinging strikeout on the third pitch with a dropping changeup. When Jeon Min-jae attempted to attack again with a high fastball, he made weak contact, resulting in a ground ball to second base. It was the moment that doused Lotte's momentum.

Doosan added two more runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, and Kim Jung-woo returned to the mound in the 9th, finishing the game without allowing any runs. After the game, Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong separately praised Kim Jung-woo, stating, "With our closer unavailable, Kim Jung-woo held the line for 1⅔ innings and played a major role in today's victory."

Just four years ago, such an outcome would have been unimaginable. After graduating from Sorae Elementary, Dongsan Middle School, and Dongsan High School, Kim Jung-woo was selected first overall by SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) in the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft. However, during his time with SK, he received very few opportunities, appearing in only one game at the first division level over five years.

Even after joining Doosan in a one-for-one trade with Kang Jin-seok in May 2023, he appeared in just eight games at the first division level for two years, looking much the same. But starting with 18 appearances last year, he is now on track for a career-best season this year.

Kim Jung-woo was not included in Doosan's opening roster this year either, but after being called up in early April, he began writing a dramatic turnaround story. In 31 games, he recorded one win, two losses, six holds, and one save with an ERA of 1.67, pitching 32⅓ innings while striking out 25 batters, delivering performance comparable to that of a reliable reliever in the winning lineup.

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*This content was translated by AI.