'Excluding Kim Seon-bin' KIA extends winning streak to four games, lineup changes again... "It's time for Yoon Do-hyun to perform better" Starting at second base [Gwangju field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Yoon Do-hyun (23, KIA Tigers), who has been given great expectations by the manager, secured a starting opportunity just one day after being called up to the first division. Can he solve the challenges mentioned by the manager?

On the 22nd, Yoon Do-hyun will start as the ninth batter and second baseman in the home game against Hanwha Eagles at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Ahead of the game, KIA set its starting lineup as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Herald Castro (designated hitter), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Han Jun-soo (catcher), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Park Sang-jun (first baseman), Kim Kyu-sung (shortstop), and Yoon Do-hyun (second baseman). Adam Oller will make the starting pitching appearance.

Although KIA has won four consecutive games after their first loss in the second half, they are not yet at full strength. After Park Jae-hyun rested due to hamstring discomfort, Kim Seon-bin now faces issues as well.

Lee Beom-ho, KIA's manager, explained: "(Kim) Seon-bin is experiencing some leg discomfort, so we plan to use him in the second half. We considered using (Jung) Hyun-chang and (Kim) Kyu-sung together, but decided it would be better to reserve Hyun-chang for the latter part of the season."

Yoon Do-hyun joined KIA as a second-round pick in the 2022 Rookie Draft and was praised for his potential, though he has struggled to secure many opportunities. This season, he performed well in the Futures League with a .293 batting average, three home runs, nine RBIs, 19 runs scored, a .365 on-base percentage, a .467 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.832 across 20 games. However, in the first division, he managed only a .159 batting average (7 hits in 44 at-bats) over 20 games. After shuttling between the first and second divisions multiple times, he was called up again ahead of this three-game home series in Gwangju.

Manager Lee stated: "We want to check Yoon Do-hyun's condition. If Seon-bin is not in good shape, it would be better for Do-hyun to step in. Considering his overall defensive and offensive capabilities, it's a time when he needs to perform even better, so we decided to start him. If Seon-bin comes off the bench as a pinch hitter, it would be better to bring Hyun-chang into the game defensively."

It is now a time for Yoon Do-hyun to take his performance to the next level. The previous day, Manager Lee said about Yoon Do-hyun: "I think he knows best himself. Whether he starts or comes off the bench later, I hope he prepares well. Even if he doesn't get many at-bats, he should prepare accordingly. If he can't perform early in the season, he should step up when infielders need changes later on and show his full abilities. He needs to create situations where he can play longer games. With infield rotations tight, providing support would be a great help."

Since being called up to the first division, Yoon Do-hyun's hitting rhythm has faltered. Manager Lee clearly understood the reason: "We need to consider how other teams view Yoon Do-hyun as a player, but he only thinks about himself. By focusing solely on the pitches he wants to hit, mistakes have occurred repeatedly. During spring training, opposing teams even tried throwing him pitches they knew he could hit well, so he performed successfully. Now, however, pitchers are giving him pitches he struggles with, and he must endure those to get opportunities to hit good ones. If he can handle that, his inherent abilities are more than sufficient. He needs to think more about how opponents perceive him. If he creates favorable counts, opportunities will come when good pitches arrive. If he shifts his mindset away from self-centered thinking, he can certainly showcase his abilities."

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*This content was translated by AI.