'Just barely snapped the losing streak,' Ereedia's shoulder grabbed, "Undergoing hospital checkup" — First half ends early [Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

Just as SSG Landers managed to break their nine-game losing streak amid rising momentum and hopes of finishing the first half on an upward trend, another setback emerged. Guillermo Ereedia (35) will end his first-half season early due to shoulder pain.

SSG manager Lee Seung-yong (55), speaking to reporters ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 8th, said, "Ereedia felt pain in his left shoulder during yesterday's game. He is currently undergoing a hospital checkup. It may be difficult for him to play today or tomorrow."

SSG escaped a prolonged 13-game losing streak early last month but continued with five-game and nine-game losing streaks afterward. Their winning percentage since May has remained in the low 20% range.

The collapse of the starting rotation proved decisive, and both injured Mitch White and Anthony Venegas, who showed no signs of recovery, were ultimately replaced. In yesterday's game, rookie Kim Min-jun delivered a valuable win for the team with his debut quality start (six or more innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs), and new foreign pitcher Pedro Avila joined the squad that day. However, there was no time to celebrate before news of Ereedia's injury surfaced.

Manager Lee added, "It may also be difficult for him to pinch-hit. His left shoulder has always been problematic, so he has been under constant management, but yesterday the pain seemed to intensify."

Ereedia, who has played for SSG since 2023 across four consecutive seasons, boasts exceptional hitting ability, even earning the batting title in 2024. This season, he has appeared in all 84 games played by the team, posting a .282 batting average (94 hits in 333 at-bats), 15 home runs, 75 RBIs, 42 runs scored, a .336 on-base percentage, a .462 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 0.798. Notably, he has batted .336 with runners in scoring position, establishing himself as a clutch performer and ranking third in RBIs. His outstanding defense is also highlighted, having won the KBO Left Fielder Defensive Award for three consecutive years. In yesterday's game, he led the team to break their losing streak with a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning.

This injury is especially disappointing. Manager Lee stated, "He's not usually the type to leave during a game, but he reported significant discomfort. The pain affects his hitting as well. Since he is a left-handed pitcher and right-handed batter, he throws with his left arm, and when batting, he must grip the bat with his left hand, which inevitably increases the damage."

With Ereedia out, SSG lined up its batting order as follows: Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Jeong (designated hitter), Kim Jae-hwan (left fielder), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Lee Ji-young (catcher), and Kim Sung-wook (right fielder). Jeon Young-jun will start as a temporary pitcher.

Manager Lee said, "Young-jun will be evaluated based on the situation. After that, we plan to utilize all available players according to data-driven decisions. For now, we'll focus on his pitch quality, but I expect he'll throw around 50 pitches."

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*This content was translated by AI.