Kim Tae-hyung reveals conditions for calling up Yoon Dong-hee and Na Seung-yeop: "Call them when they look their best — it's the same now as before"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Tae-hyung (59), manager of the Lotte Giants, maintained a cautious stance while offering a sober assessment regarding the timing for outfielder Yoon Dong-hee (23) and infielder Na Seung-yeop (24), who are currently working on their hitting in the Futures League (minor league), to return to the first division.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung emphasized ahead of the away game against Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 16th as part of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' that "Yoon Dong-hee and Na Seung-yeop must show their best form to be called up to the first division."

Ahead of the first game of the second half on the 16th, Lotte made no changes to its first division roster. This move is seen as an effort to maintain the strong performance achieved in the final 10 games of the first half, where the team recorded six wins and four losses. Kim also stated there was no urgent need to make changes among position players.

On the 15th, when there were no games scheduled, Manager Kim watched the Futures League broadcast and remarked, "I saw them play, and they looked exactly the same as before — no significant improvement." This suggested that their performances in the minor league still fall short of the criteria for returning to the first division. Regarding Na Seung-yeop specifically, he expressed disappointment, noting, "He has even shown difficulty tracking pitches properly."

This season, Yoon Dong-hee recorded a .231 batting average (37 hits in 160 at-bats) with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 47 first division games. Na Seung-yeop hit .228 (38 hits in 167 at-bats) with five home runs and 27 RBIs in 48 games before being removed from the first division roster on the 6th for retraining.

Currently, Lotte faces urgent needs not only for these two players but also for key batters such as Jeon Jun-woo and Yu Gangnam to return to the first division lineup. However, Manager Kim made it clear that he would not rush their call-ups.

Regarding Jeon Jun-woo and Yu Gangnam, Manager Kim stated, "We are talking about when they were at their peak performance." He added, "If they remain in their current condition and form, there is absolutely no reason to call them up to the first division." He further emphasized, "Once called up, they must immediately deliver top results. Rather than hasty call-ups, it is most important to firmly regain their former form."

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*This content was translated by AI.