KIA Lee Ui-ri 'Unable to play' in today's (20th) game against Hanwha? Why?... Manager says, "There are still many games left; even pitchers who rested for 5–6 days have been used boldly." [Daejeon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers are set to challenge for a sweep of the three-game series against Hanwha Eagles and their fifth consecutive victory. The starting lineup has been announced.

KIA will play an away regular-season game against Hanwha at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark on the 20th at 7 p.m.

On the 18th, KIA secured a one-run victory over Hanwha with a 4-3 score in the first game of the midweek three-game series. The following day (the 19th), they defeated Hanwha 6-3 after Kim Do-young hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning.

And today, they will aim for their fifth consecutive win.

KIA has set its starting batting order as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Castro (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Yoon Do-hyun (third baseman), Han Jun-soo (catcher), Jung Hyun-chang (shortstop), and Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Hwang Dong-da.

Compared to the previous day, many regular players have returned to the lineup.

Instead of Lee Ho-yeon, who started at second base yesterday, veteran Kim Sun-bin will start as the leadoff hitter and second baseman. The cleanup trio of Park Jae-hyun, Kim Do-young, Castro, and Na Sung-beom remains unchanged.

With Kim Do-young playing as the designated hitter, Yoon Do-hyun has been moved to third base. Han Jun-soo will now wear the catcher's mask instead of Kim Tae-gun. The center fielder position has also changed from Park Jung-woo to Kim Ho-ryeong. Kim Ho-ryeong will bat ninth and serve as a bridge to the upper part of the lineup.

Ahead of today's game, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho addressed yesterday's (the 19th) situation where Kim Do-young attempted a solo steal in the eighth inning: "He sometimes runs when it's important, and I think he decided to run yesterday. His leg condition is completely fine."

He continued, "However, he will start as the designated hitter today because he mentioned some discomfort in his hip area after playing defense yesterday, and there was also a part of his uniform that tore while entering home plate. This decision is also for psychological stability, as such impacts can affect players more on the following day."

KIA has recently gained a powerful ally known as 'Ma-mu-ui-ri'—none other than Lee Ui-ri himself. However, he will not be taking the mound in today's game.

There is a reason: he has played in every game from the 15th through the 19th. On the 15th and 16th against Doosan Bears, Lee Ui-ri pitched one inning each day. After resting on Monday (the 17th), he returned to the mound for the Hanwha game on the 18th, where he delivered a strong performance over 1⅓ innings with two strikeouts, securing back-to-back saves. In yesterday's game, he entered in relief with no outs and runners on first and third, pitching a scoreless inning to secure his third consecutive save.

However, the team has decided not to have him pitch three games in a row today.

Manager Lee stated firmly, "Lee Ui-ri will rest today. I believe the number of appearances is important. Pitching on back-to-back days likely places physical strain on him. There are still many games left. We must avoid overexertion and also give opportunities to other players. Some pitchers have rested for 5–6 days, so we want to see if they can contribute. That's why we plan to use Lee Ui-ri boldly today."

Meanwhile, Hanwha has set its starting batting order against KIA as follows: Kim Tae-yeon (right fielder), Choi In-ho (center fielder), Han Ji-yoon (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Park Jung-hyun (shortstop), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Hwang Young-mok (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Ryu Hyun-jin.

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*This content was translated by AI.