'Oops' LG's veteran home plate catcher disappears for two consecutive games; what kind of pitching will 'Korean debut' Carlos KARAESCO show? [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins' starting catcher Park Dong-won has been omitted from the starting lineup for two consecutive games. LG announced its starting lineup ahead of a rematch against Doosan Bears following their loss the previous day (31st).

LG will face Doosan in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 1st at 6 p.m.

The previous day (July 31), LG lost to Doosan 2-4 in the first of three weekend games. With this loss, LG maintained sole third place in the league with a record of 55 wins and 43 losses. The gap between 'fourth-place' Doosan and LG narrowed from four games to three games.

For today's game, LG set its starting lineup as follows: Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin (first baseman), Moon Jeong-bin (designated hitter), Song Chan-ui (right fielder), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Gu Bon-hyeok (third baseman), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman).

Starting catcher Park Dong-won was left out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game after yesterday. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, the team's commander, previously explained that Park's exclusion from the starting lineup was "for rest purposes" and added, "His ankle has been in poor condition recently, so he may sit out all three games against Doosan."

LG's starting pitcher is Carlos KARAESCO. Instead of releasing right-handed fireballer Yacel Lios, who had been active last month, LG signed KARAESCO as their new foreign pitcher. The contract was agreed upon for a total value of $360,000 (annual salary: $360,000).

KARAESCO is a well-known pitcher who once dominated the Major Leagues. At the time of signing KARAESCO, LG stated, "He is a veteran starting pitcher with 112 career wins in the Major Leagues. We expect him to quickly adapt to the KBO League thanks to his extensive experience, stable control, and high-quality breaking balls."

KARAESCO boasts physical attributes of 193 cm in height and 101 kg in weight. After joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003, he played for the Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians), New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves.

Over 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, he appeared in 343 games (286 as a starter), recording 112 wins, 105 losses, an ERA of 4.24 across 1,704 innings. Notably, in the 2017 season while with Cleveland, he achieved 18 wins and led the American League in victories. In the 2026 season, he appeared as a relief pitcher in eight Major League games, posting an ERA of 5.94. On the Minor League Triple-A level this year, he made eight appearances (six starts), compiling a record of 2 wins, 1 loss with an ERA of 2.55.

Meanwhile, Doosan set its starting lineup against LG as follows: Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Severino (designated hitter), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yang Eui-ji (designated hitter), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Ahn Jae-seok (third baseman), Kim Daehun (right fielder), Jo Su-haeng (center fielder), and Yoon Jun-ho (catcher). Doosan's starting pitcher is Kwak Bin.

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*This content was translated by AI.