'Lee Jung-hoo No. 3 and DH → Witcomb No. 7 and third baseman' The Taegeuk Warriors who led Korea to the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years reunited at SF

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28) and Korean-American infielder Shae Witcomb (28), who together helped Korea reach the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, have now been named in the same lineup while wearing San Francisco Giants uniforms.

On the 25th (Korean time), San Francisco announced its starting lineup for the home game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, USA, as part of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season.

San Francisco's lineup that day was: Drew Gilbert (center fielder)-Rafael Devers (first baseman)-Lee Jung-hoo (designated hitter)-Turner Hill (left fielder)-Drew Cabana (catcher)-Nate Pearson (second baseman)-Shae Witcomb (third baseman)-Grant McCray (right fielder)-Christian Yelich (shortstop).

This marks Witcomb's first opportunity in the big leagues since joining San Francisco. Prior to the game, San Francisco recalled Witcomb, along with Pearson, McCray, pitchers Anthony Molina and Ryan Walker, from Triple-A Sacramento.

Conversely, starting shortstop Willie Adames was placed on the 10th-day injured list (IL) due to a left elbow strain, while Victor Berriozabal and JT Brubaker also exited due to injuries. Bryce Eldridge was added to the bereavement/family emergency list.

Witcomb was claimed by San Francisco after being placed on waivers by the Houston Astros on the 14th. He immediately joined Triple-A Sacramento, and with significant vacancies in the infield, he received a call-up to the major leagues about ten days later.

What draws attention is his reunion with Lee Jung-hoo. Witcomb, born to a Korean mother and an American father, expressed his desire to play for his mother's Na Ra-reul (CEO) and earned the right to wear the Taegeuk mark in the WBC tournament held last March. At that time, Witcomb told MLB.com, "I decided to participate in this WBC because I thought it was for my mother."

After donning the Taegeuk mark, he demonstrated powerful hitting ability. Although Witcomb hit just .214 (3 hits in 14 at-bats) across five WBC games, two of his three hits were home runs, resulting in 3 RBIs, a slugging percentage of .714, and an OPS of .981. He contributed to Korea advancing past the group stage for the first time since 2009 and reaching the quarterfinals.

Lee Jung-hoo and Witcomb, who wore the Taegeuk mark together at that time, have met again in the same major league team after approximately five months.

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*This content was translated by AI.