Who will be the Kia third baseman to replace Kim Do-young during the Asian Games? The player Lee Beom-ho is waiting for! "They say he's coming in early September, and it would be best if he could fill the spot."

*This content was translated by AI.

The Kia Tigers have begun preparing for the key player vacancy caused by the Asian Games (AG) roster call-up scheduled for mid-September. Most urgently, they are working to fill the void left by starting third baseman Kim Do-young (23).

Manager Lee Beom-ho has identified the third base position as his biggest concern regarding team composition during the AG roster period, which begins after the September 13 game. While outfield and first base vacancies caused by players like Park Jae-hyun can be addressed through positional shifts among existing resources or substitute players, the third base gap is expected to have a more significant impact.

The ideal scenario envisioned by Manager Lee is the return of infielder Park Min (25), who is currently recovering from injury. Ahead of the the 21st Kiwoom Heroes game, Lee stated regarding Kim Do-young's absence at third base: "It would be best if Park Min could come and fill in." He added, "Although his back is still not fully healed, he says he can prepare and return by early September. Since he will likely leave for the Asian Games around September 15, we need to create a situation where he can cover the position sufficiently before then."

According to additional comments from Manager Lee Beom-ho on the 22nd, Park Min has recently resumed technical training and is scheduled to participate in actual games with the Futures League (second division) around early September. However, the critical factor at this stage is whether his pain recurs. If pain returns or any physical abnormalities are detected, his call-up to the first division may be delayed.

Another option for the infield is the recovery progress of Kim Kyu-sung (29). Kim Kyu-sung is also undergoing rehabilitation after sustaining a side injury during fielding. Manager Lee noted, "It seems Kim Kyu-sung still has some lingering pain. He mentioned his side was strained while fielding, and it appears to be taking longer than expected." He further predicted, "To return to normal condition after playing games, it might take until mid-September."

Manager Lee Beom-ho also holds high expectations for Park Jung-woo as a potential replacement for the outfield vacancy left by Park Jae-hyun. The manager stated, "If Park Jung-woo is in good condition, he is not only skilled defensively but also excels at executing offensive strategies and has great speed." He added, "If Jung-woo fulfills his role, it will allow the team to expand its tactical options, making him the best possible option."

Should outfielder Park Jung-woo's condition improve, the plan is to fixate on foreign batter Castro at first base while flexibly utilizing other first base resources such as Oh Sun-woo and Park Sang-jun depending on the situation. Castro's participation in first base defense since August is closely related to this strategy. Manager Lee Beom-ho also expressed confidence that the outfield vacancy caused by Park Jae-hyun can be managed through existing player rotations.

Additionally, the team plans to strengthen its roster evenly across pitchers, catchers, infielders, and outfielders through an expanded September roster, while using actual games to pre-check the condition of backup players. Manager Lee stated, "We will utilize players in good condition according to the situation as we play games," conveying his determination to hold firm throughout September, which will be a turning point in the race for standings.

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*This content was translated by AI.