'Noh Jin-hyuk → Son Ho-young → Han Tae-yang': Lotte's third baseman changes daily, deepening Manager Kim Tae-hyung's dilemma [Incheon field report]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Lotte Giants started a different third baseman in every game of their three-game series against the SSG Landers, reflecting the deepening concerns of Manager Kim Tae-hyung (59).

On the 13th, Lotte announced its starting lineup for the regular-season home-and-away matchup against SSG at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

That day, Lotte set its batting order as follows: Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Go Seung-min (second baseman), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Han Tae-yang (third baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Alvin Rodriguez.

In response, SSG lined up with Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Bly Madris (left fielder), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), and An Sang-hyun (third baseman). The starting pitcher was Shota Takeda.

Notably, Lotte's third baseman changed in all three games of this series following the heatwave break. On the first day, veteran Noh Jin-hyuk (37) started; on the second day, Son Ho-young (32), known as a trade "lucky charm," took the position. However, Noh went 0-for-2 and Son went 0-for-3, ultimately leading to an opportunity for Han Tae-yang, who has limited third base experience.

Since his first-team debut in 2022, Han Tae-yang has primarily played second base and shortstop, appearing in only 23 games (88 innings) at third base in the first division. Nevertheless, the team's persistent offensive struggles forced Manager Kim to turn to Han Tae-yang, whose hitting has remained consistently steady. This season, Han has recorded a .265 batting average (132 at-bats, 35 hits) and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.690 across 52 games.

Before the game, Manager Kim Tae-hyung met with reporters and stated, "In terms of hitting or anything else, Han Tae-yang is the best option. While I'm concerned that he hasn't played third base much recently, we'll try him out for now. Noh Jin-hyuk is being considered as a pinch hitter later."

The team's long-standing offensive struggles have left even the manager deeply troubled. Despite ample rest during the heatwave break, Lotte managed only six hits in one game and four in another over their last two contests, falling into a losing streak.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung expressed his frustration: "On the first day, we faced an exceptionally strong pitcher, and yesterday we simply couldn't hit Kim Min-jun's pitches. We should have been able to target breaking balls, but it's disappointing that they only swung at their own rhythm. Additionally, since Hwang Seong-bin and Reyes aren't clicking, the overall performance has declined."

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*This content was translated by AI.