'80 Billion Won Pitcher' Ha Young-min, Hip Injury → Removed from 1st Division Roster... Kiwoom Starting Rotation in Critical Condition

*This content was translated by AI.

Although not an overwhelming ace, Ha Young-min (31, Kiwoom Heroes), who has consistently maintained his spot in the starting rotation as a one-club man, has finally disappeared from the 1st division roster.

Kiwoom removed starting pitcher Ha Young-min from the 1st division roster on the 5th.

This was the only change among all 10 teams' rosters on this day when all scheduled games across five clubs nationwide were canceled due to an early heatwave.

The Kiwoom organization stated, "Ha Young-min experienced discomfort in his left hip and will be removed from the roster on the 5th before receiving a medical examination at the club-designated hospital on the 6th. We will provide further guidance once the examination results are available."

Ha Young-min, who graduated from Gwangju Jinheung High School, was selected by Kiwoom with the 4th pick in the 2nd round of the 2014 Rookie Draft and has been active as a one-club man since then.

Especially since settling into the starting rotation in 2024, he achieved his career-high nine wins that year, and last season he surpassed 150 innings for two consecutive years, adding seven more victories.

Ahead of this season, Ha Young-min underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment from his elbow and went through rehabilitation. He experienced ups and downs early in the season and even switched to the bullpen in May, but returned to the starting rotation in June.

Thereafter, he performed brilliantly over four games in June, pitching 22⅓ innings with a record of one win and two losses and an ERA of 2.82. Particularly when the team was caught in a 10-game losing streak, he delivered a stellar performance of seven innings allowing only one run, becoming a stopper to the losing streak and shedding tears.

In early July, Kiwoom signed a multi-year non-free agent (non-FA) contract with Ha Young-min for up to 8 billion won over eight years. This long-term contract, extending from 2027 to 2034, effectively meant "lifetime with Kiwoom." Following this, Ha Young-min satisfied fans with an outstanding performance of seven innings allowing only one unearned run against Samsung Lions on the 23rd of last month.

However, he wavered in a match against LG Twins on the 29th of last month, pitching only 3⅔ innings and allowing seven runs. On the 4th, he became the losing pitcher after giving up three runs over five innings against Lotte Giants, and the following day news of his injury was announced. Ha Young-min, who had already shown discomfort in his lower body during the match against Samsung on the 23rd of last month, subsequently experienced a decline in velocity, which appears to be an effect of his hip injury.

He recorded four wins and six losses with an ERA of 4.60 over 88 innings in 19 games this season.

On the 5th, the KBO decided to cancel all games scheduled for the 5th and 6th due to extreme heat, prompting Kiwoom to immediately head north. Ha Young-min is scheduled to undergo a detailed examination at the club-designated hospital in Seoul on the 6th.

Kiwoom has achieved strong results with nine wins, seven losses, and one draw in their 17 games during the second half of the season. The team's batting average was as high as 0.289, ranking fourth, which was decisive. In contrast, their ERA was 5.06, ranking sixth, while the starting rotation's ERA stood at 6.16, ranking eighth.

Especially, a crisis has been declared for the starting rotation. An Woo-jin is holding on well, but Raul Alcantara has left due to injury, and rookie Park Jun-hyun is struggling. With Bae Dong-hyun also sent down to the minor league, Kim Yun-ha and Jeon Jun-pyo were filling the starting rotation spots, but Ha Young-min's departure has only widened the gap further. Since the team switched its foreign player composition to just two batters midway through the season, Ha Young-min's absence feels even more painful.

The heatwave forced a two-day break, which became an opportunity for Kiwoom to catch their breath. Bae Dong-hyun had already pitched six innings in the Futures League on the 29th of last month, allowing four runs but no earned runs, so he is expected to be called up immediately and utilized.

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*This content was translated by AI.