'Hamstring Injury' Lee Jae-won Removed from First Division Roster for Third Time This Season; Shin Min-jae Makes First Leadoff Appearance of the Year! 3rd-Place LG Reveals Lineup Against 1st-Place KT [Jamsil On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins right-handed power hitter and promising prospect Lee Jae-won (27) has been removed from the first division roster. This is his third removal of the season.

On the 18th, LG announced its starting lineup for the home game against KT Wiz at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

For today's game, LG set its batting order with Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Jung-bin (first baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Dong-won (catcher), Lee Young-bin (third baseman), and Hong Chang-gi (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Im Chan-kyu.

Notably, Shin Min-jae, whose batting form has revived, will bat leadoff for the first time this year. So far this season, Shin has struggled with poor hitting, posting a batting average of 0.257 across 103 games and 328 plate appearances. He primarily batted in the lower lineup, appearing 247 times at the ninth spot and 68 times at the second spot. However, he has recently hit .348 (8 hits in 23 at-bats) over his last 10 games, earning a spot in the leadoff position.

In contrast, Lee Jae-won, who has been struggling repeatedly, will take a short break due to injury. This season, Lee has recorded a .233 batting average (20 hits in 86 at-bats), four home runs, and 16 RBIs across 45 games, with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.762. However, he felt pain in his left hamstring during the game against SSG Landers on the 16th at Jamsil Stadium. An examination this morning revealed a minor hamstring strain, and doctors have indicated he will need about four weeks before returning.

Infielder Son Yong-jun, who will replace Lee Jae-won, has been hitting powerfully in the Futures League this season with a .347 batting average (90 hits in 259 at-bats), three home runs, 40 RBIs, and 47 runs scored across 68 games. His on-base percentage stands at 0.418 and slugging percentage at 0.444.

The matchup between the first-place and third-place teams also draws attention. As of before the game on the 18th, LG sits in third place with a record of 58 wins, one tie, and 48 losses, trailing first-place KT (62 wins, two ties, 39 losses) by 6.5 games. Im Chan-kyu, who has anchored LG's pitching staff this season with a 10-4 record and a 4.28 ERA in 21 games, has struggled against KT, posting a 1-1 record and a 5.23 ERA in four appearances. The key will be how well he can hold up against KT's powerful offense.

KT will send national team pitcher So Hyoung-jun to the mound. So has recorded a 6-1 record with a 2.95 ERA in 15 games this season and has been strong against LG as well, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three appearances.

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*This content was translated by AI.