KARA-sco, the reason for teaming up with Park Dong-won instead of Lee Ju-heon in a 'perfect collaboration' revealed! Yeom Kyung-yeop: "Accepted the opinion to approach it as if opening a new season"

*This content was translated by AI.

The background behind LG Twins foreign starting pitcher Carlos KARA-sco (39), who previously recorded a perfect game in collaboration with catcher Lee Ju-heon (23) over seven innings, shifting to battery partner Park Dong-won (36) has been revealed.

On the 11th, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) met with reporters ahead of an away game against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, for the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League', providing detailed explanations regarding KARA-sco's planned pitch count and starting catcher.

Manager Yeom first addressed KARA-sco's pitch count for his second start on Korean soil, stating, "We are considering between 80 and 90 pitches," and added, "Since this is a build-up process, he will go as scheduled this Sunday, and we plan to maintain a similar range of around 80–90 pitches."

He also candidly explained the background behind the change in starting catcher, which drew attention today. The starting catcher was not Lee Ju-heon but Park Dong-won. KARA-sco had previously teamed up with Lee Ju-heon in a game against Doosan Bears at Jamsil on the 1st, recording seven innings of perfect pitching with two strikeouts.

In response to StarNews's inquiry, Manager Yeom explained, "Initially, I expressed that I wanted to use Ju-heon," but added, "During discussions with the coaching staff and the team analysis department, there was an opinion suggesting we should approach the second half as if opening a new season. Accepting this internal view to change the atmosphere, we decided on Park Dong-won."

He further provided updates on the team's injury status and position changes. Regarding outfielder Moon Sung-ju, who was removed from the first-team roster ahead of today's game, Manager Yeom stated, "A minor side muscle strain was diagnosed, requiring about 3–4 weeks of rest," and added, "Since this is a recurring injury-prone area, we must monitor his progress cautiously." Similarly, regarding Jang Hyun-sik, who also suffered a minor strain, he noted, "While re-examination itself holds little meaning, two weeks have passed. We are projecting a recovery timeline of up to four weeks, and he is expected to begin pitching soon."

Aiming for a rebound after the heatwave break, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop concluded by reaffirming his resolve: "Ultimately, professionals must speak through results. Without overloading the players, we will revive the operational system and fundamentals that worked best in the first half to overcome this crisis."

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*This content was translated by AI.