'The firefighter who saved Samsung' left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-hyun unexpectedly switched to starter, Yang Chang-seop moves to bullpen... "It's competition in the pros," Park Jin-man's decision [Daegu field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"In the pros, competition is natural."

Yang Chang-seop (27), who had been a steady part of Samsung Lions' starting rotation throughout the season, will move to the bullpen. The spot will be taken by left-handed pitcher Lee Seung-hyun (24), who rescued Samsung from crisis.

Park Jin-man (50), manager of Samsung, met with reporters ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against Hanwha Eagles at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 16th. He stated, "Lee Seung-hyun will start in the next game. Chang-seop will move to Seung-hyun's role starting next week." He added, "He started well but his form dipped over two or three games. In the pros, it's about competition. Because he performed well, he was given this opportunity."

Signed as a second-round pick in the 2018 rookie draft, Yang Chang-seop had previously disappointed with below-expectation results but established himself as a starting pitcher this season. He dominated in the first half with seven wins and no losses.

However, he allowed nine runs in his last two games. In the match against Hanwha on the 15th, he gave up one run in the top of the first before being ejected after hitting Noh Si-hwan with a pitch to the head. Lee Seung-hyun entered the game in a bases-loaded, one-out crisis and held opponents to just one run over 5⅔ innings. Although he did not earn the win, the team's explosive offense secured a valuable victory.

Lee Seung-hyun had started the season well but fell into a slump, spending 71 days in the minor league. After being called up last month, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. However, following his outstanding performance the previous day, Manager Park decided to give Lee Seung-hyun another chance as a starter.

Manager Park explained, "Seung-hyun was originally brought into the roster for long relief work. Even yesterday, we prepared him to enter early if Chang-seop showed signs of instability." He continued, "It wasn't just yesterday; his form had been consistently strong over the past three or four games. Based on current performance, we judged Seung-hyun to be in better shape than Chang-seop, so he will start again in the next game. He seized the opportunity well."

After a four-game losing streak followed by three consecutive wins, Samsung's scheduled game was canceled due to field conditions, granting them an extra day of rest.

Starting from the 18th, they will play a three-game series against SSG Landers in Daegu before traveling to Changwon for another three-game series against NC Dinos. With records of 7-4 and 9-3 respectively in their recent matchups, Samsung appears poised to seize this excellent opportunity to overtake the first-place KT Wiz, who trail by half a game.

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*This content was translated by AI.