Samsung's first lineup upgrade for the second half is here! Clean-up trio of Koo Ja-wook, Choi Hyung-woo, and Diaz deployed; Fedek also registered in the 1st-man roster.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Samsung Lions, who secured first place in the first half for the first time in 11 years, have taken their first step toward a dominant second-half campaign. They will host Lotte Giants at home to seize early momentum. Simultaneously with the start of the second half, they made major changes to their 1-man roster and reorganized their lineup.

Ahead of their first second-half showdown against Lotte at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 16th in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League', Samsung announced its starting lineup.

On this day, Samsung fielded a lineup featuring Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Kim Sung-yoon (right fielder), Koo Ja-wook (left fielder), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), and Shim Jae-hoon (shortstop).

The most notable aspect is the clean-up trio of Koo Ja-wook, Choi Hyung-woo, and Diaz. These core batters who led the team's offense throughout the first half will target Lotte's mound from the opening game of the second half. Although Koo Ja-wook had shoulder discomfort and Choi Hyung-woo was not in optimal condition regarding his hip area during the final game of the first half, both were included in the starting lineup as expected. Meanwhile, the lower-order lineup featuring fast base runners among the table-setters and veteran Kang Min-ho anchoring the middle is well-coordinated.

Roster changes were also implemented ahead of today's match. Samsung removed infielder Kim Jae-sang from the 1st-man roster while registering new foreign pitcher Chris Fedek, along with Yang Chang-seop, Lee Jae-ik, catcher Kim Do-hwan, and outfielder Kim Heon-gon, significantly deepening their pitching and hitting depth. Fedek is scheduled to make his first start on the 18th.

Yang Chang-seop, who has returned to the 1st-man roster, will take the mound as the starting pitcher for today's game. With ace Ariel Huard sidelined due to a right shoulder injury, Yang will aim to secure the first win of the season. This season, he has recorded 7 wins in 14 games with an ERA of 4.26 and holds a memorable debut complete-game shutout victory against Lotte at Sajik on May 24.

Samsung aims to overturn their slight 2-3 deficit in head-to-head records through four consecutive home games. With the promise of firepower from the clean-up trio, newly added roster members, and 'hero of the shutout' Yang Chang-seop leading the charge, it remains to be seen whether Samsung can deliver a joyful victory report in their first second-half game.

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*This content was translated by AI.