'143km/h Noh Si-hwan Headshot': Samsung's Yang Chang-seok ejected from the first inning; Park Jin-man's plan to exclude pitchers on three consecutive starts falls apart [Daegu]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Samsung Lions encountered a major setback right from the start of the game. Starting pitcher Yang Chang-seok was ordered off the mound in the first inning after hitting Noh Si-hwan with a pitch.

On the 15th, Yang made his starting appearance at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in a home game against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. With one out and runners on second and third base, he allowed a hit-by-pitch to Noh Si-hwan.

A 143km/h two-seam fastball flew toward Noh Si-hwan's head. Fortunately, it struck the brim of his helmet, sparing him serious injury. Noh Si-hwan, who had fallen while trying to avoid the ball, quickly got up and walked to first base.

This is a major blow for Samsung. With four pitchers having already made two consecutive starts, an unexpected bullpen day has arrived.

Manager Park Jin-man said before the game, "There are several pitchers who have started three games in a row. We intend to exclude them." However, he added, "If their pitch count is low, some of those pitchers may still be able to start even on three consecutive days. We'll need to check tomorrow's weather forecast, but since rain is expected, we plan to use all available bullpen resources through today."

Kim Jae-yoon and Jang Chan-hee threw more than 30 pitches over two days, but due to an entirely unexpected turn of events, they may now find themselves waiting in the bullpen.

Yang Chang-seok struggled from the first inning. After allowing a ground-rule double by Lee Won-seok to right field and walking Yonatan Peraza, he induced a ground ball to the second baseman from Moon Hyun-bin, retiring the runner at second base. However, he gave up a double to Kang Baek-ho and surrendered one run. The next pitch thrown to Noh Si-hwan headed straight for his head, resulting in an immediate ejection order.

With one out and bases loaded, left-handed reliever Lee Seung-hyun was called upon urgently to stop the bleeding. He threw a curveball inside to Chae Eun-seong, inducing a ground ball to the shortstop that resulted in a double play, ending the inning without allowing any additional runs.

However, this has caused significant disruption to bullpen management. With rain forecast nationwide on the 16th, it appears the team will need to utilize its pitchers as diversely as possible. The possibility of using pitchers on three consecutive starts can no longer be ruled out.

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*This content was translated by AI.