"He ate this much rice." Kim Tae-hyung let out a dry laugh, yet the 20th-year-old sixth-round rookie remained cheerful even after being notified of his first-division debut on the day of his appearance. [Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) revealed behind-the-scenes details about Kim Han-gyeol (20), who is set to make his first-division debut as a starting pitcher.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Incheon SSG Landers game on the 12th, Manager Kim Tae-hyung stated, "I need to see how many innings Kim Han-gyeol can pitch once he reaches the first division. It would be ideal if he could manage as many innings as possible."

Kim Han-gyeol is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Munchang Elementary School (Gwangmyeong Little), Seongnam Middle School, and Seongnam High School before being selected in the sixth round (54th overall) of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. His strengths include a fastball reaching up to 149 km/h and a high-value splitter. In the Futures League, he recorded 1 win and 2 losses with an ERA of 4.15 across 11 games, striking out 27 batters in 26 innings, demonstrating his potential.

The reason Kim Han-gyeol's debut was moved up by two days from the originally scheduled appearance against the Busan NC Dinos on the 14th was due to an unexpected injury to Na Gyun-an (28), who had been announced as the starting pitcher for that day. Na Gyun-an developed a sore throat after waking up early that morning, leading to his delayed appearance. According to a Lotte Giants official, fortunately, he only needs one rest and will remain with the first-division team.

There were two candidates to replace Na Gyun-an: Kim Han-gyeol and left-handed pitcher Park Se-jin (29). However, since the right-handed option was needed, Kim Han-gyeol was selected. Despite the sudden debut for a rookie, Manager Kim Tae-hyung felt significantly relieved after observing Kim Han-gyeol's pre-game demeanor.

The manager remarked with a dry laugh, "While coming here earlier, I saw (Kim) Han-gyeol eating this much rice." He added, "He still feels like a kid, but if he continues training to build his body systematically, I sense he will be able to throw good pitches," offering praise.

Continuing, he smiled and said, "I saw him once during live practice, and his velocity was impressive. He wasn't originally in the (call-up) rotation order, but reports kept coming in. After reviewing video footage, I found his breaking balls are good and his physical condition is promising; if developed properly, he could become a valuable asset."

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*This content was translated by AI.