'90 Billion Won Captain' Chae Eun-seong Returns to Hanwha Lineup as No. 5 Designated Hitter; 'Supernova' Han Ji-yun Starts at No. 7 Left Fielder... 'Oh Jae-won Injury' → Lee Jin-young and Hwang Jun-seo Called Up

*This content was translated by AI.

The Hanwha Eagles captain has finally returned. Can Chae Eun-seong (36) become the new hope for Hanwha, which is nurturing hopes of a playoff run?

On the 28th, ahead of the home game against Lotte Giants at Daejeon Hanwha Life Wonder Park, Hanwha removed outfielder Oh Jae-won from its first-division roster and called up another outfielder, Lee Jin-young; infielder Chae Eun-seong; and pitcher Hwang Jun-seo.

Chae Eun-seong's call-up had been planned. After disappearing following the May 5 game against KIA Tigers due to a left clavicle injury, his recovery took longer than expected. He recently improved his batting form in the Futures League, and Manager Kim Kyung-moon hinted at Chae Eun-seong's return.

Chae Eun-seong's departure created a vacancy for the captaincy, but Kim Tae-yeon stepped in as interim captain and performed his role excellently. However, with his batting form recently declining, the burden on Chae Eun-seong's shoulders upon his return today has become even heavier.

Hanwha set its starting lineup for the day as follows: Lee Do-yoon (second baseman), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (center fielder), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (designated hitter), Heo In-seo (catcher), Han Ji-yun (left fielder), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). Owen White will start on the mound. Chae Eun-seong will focus solely on batting without defensive duties to fine-tune his form.

Players frequently mentioned the void left by Chae Eun-seong, who is highly regarded for his exemplary conduct and leadership as a senior player uniting the team. With Hanwha having exploded offensively in the game against LG Twins on the 26th to finish the week with four wins and two losses, attention is focused on how high the team can climb.

Hwang Jun-seo fills the vacancy left by Lee Kyo-hoon, who was removed the previous day. Lee Kyo-hoon, called up for the first time after a trade, left a bitter taste after allowing runs in two consecutive games. Hwang Jun-seo, who had pitched six consecutive scoreless innings before being notified of his move to the minor league, has been called up again. In the minor league, he recently appeared as a long reliever in two games, pitching four innings each time and delivering stable outings. With uncertainty surrounding the five starting pitchers, he is expected to serve as either a starter or a long reliever supporting them.

However, Oh Jae-won's additional departure brings a bitter feeling. As a first-round draft pick who joined Hanwha, Oh Jae-won was hitting .422 (19 hits in 45 at-bats) over his last 10 games but was hampered by a sudden injury.

The Hanwha organization explained, "Oh Jae-won was removed for player management purposes as he has not fully recovered from pain caused by a right ankle sprain that occurred during training on the 26th."

Lee Jin-young takes his place. While he left an impression of underperformance in 39 games with the first division this season, batting .228 (18 hits in 79 at-bats), he was called up after hitting .424 (25 hits in 59 at-bats) in the Futures League. Today, alongside Moon Hyun-bin and Peraza, Han Ji-yun, who recently displayed tremendous clutch ability, will start as the No. 7 hitter and left fielder.

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*This content was translated by AI.