'Son Ho-young OUT → Cho Min-young suddenly named right fielder' Lotte reveals lineup against FedEx! Noh Jin-hyuk at 3B, Ko Seung-min at 1B

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants made sweeping changes to their starting lineup in an effort to avenge their previous defeat on the 16th and turn around their sluggish momentum. Alongside this, they took a bold gamble by immediately including Cho Min-young (21), who had just been officially registered as a regular player after dominating the Futures League and earning strong recognition, in the starting lineup.

On the 18th, Lotte unveiled its starting lineup ahead of an away game against Samsung Lions at DaeguSamsung Lions Park in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League'.

The most striking change in the announced lineup was the exclusion of Son Ho-young, a key figure on both offense and defense, and the sudden selection of Cho Min-young, who transitioned from a development player to a regular. Son had started as the eighth batter and right fielder in the game on the 16th but struggled with three at-bats without a hit and two strikeouts. In response, Lotte removed him from the starting lineup and immediately placed Cho Min-young as the eighth batter and right fielder.

Lotte arranged its batting order as follows: Hwang Seong-bin (center field), Ko Seung-min (first base), Victor Reyes (left field), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Noh Jin-hyuk (third base), Han Tae-yang (second base), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Cho Min-young (right field), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). Na Gyun-an will take the mound to face Samsung's starting pitcher, Chris FedEx.

Compared to the lineup on the 16th, positional shifts among position players are evident. Ko Seung-min has moved up to bat second while playing first base, and Noh Jin-hyuk is now at third base, taking responsibility for the infield.

Meanwhile, Lotte officially announced on the 17th that it had converted outfielder Cho Min-young (21) from a development player to a registered regular player. After being overlooked in the 2024 rookie draft, he honed his skills over two seasons with the Ibaraki Astro Planets of Japan's independent BC League. Recognizing his potential, Lotte offered him a development contract in September 2025, successfully bringing him into the KBO League.

In fact, Cho Min-young was one of the hottest hitters in the Futures League this season. In 59 games played in the Futures League this year, he recorded a batting average of .345 (76 hits in 220 at-bats), six home runs, 36 RBIs, a slugging percentage of .536, and an on-base percentage of .404, completely dominating the Southern League stage. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) currently ranks first in the Southern League at an impressive .940.

His peak hitting form continued right up until his call-up to the first division. In his most recent game on the 16th against KT Wiz in the Futures League, Cho delivered a standout performance with three hits (including one home run), one RBI, and two runs scored in five at-bats, effectively silencing critics. Having been added to the first-division roster on the 17th as a replacement for outfielder Kim Dong-hyun, Cho has now ridden a powerful upward momentum to take on the significant responsibility of making his first-division debut as a starter.

It remains to be seen whether the addition of new face Cho Min-young, who has taken on the heavy burden of his first-division debut immediately after official registration, along with the bold lineup changes, can lead Lotte to a turnaround in momentum.

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*This content was translated by AI.