Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung expressed concern for his players, saying, "They might get injured again while playing..." Nevertheless, the catcher with a strained tendon will take the field. [Gwangju Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Seong-bin (24), Lotte's starting catcher, has overcome a finger tendon injury and is set to start in the game as scheduled.

Lotte will face KIA at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 25th at 6:30 p.m. for an away regular-season match of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

Lotte has recorded 50 wins, 58 losses, and 2 draws this season, placing them alone in sixth place in the league. They trail fifth-place Doosan Bears by eight games.

For today's game, Lotte set its starting lineup as follows: Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Na Seung-yeop (designated hitter), Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (third baseman), Go Seung-min (first baseman), Han Tae-yang (second baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher will be Visley.

Son Seong-bin's appearance as the starting catcher is notable.

Son Seong-bin first noticed an abnormality in his right middle finger on the 21st ahead of an away game against Doosan Bears. Although he played normally in that match, the pain did not subside easily.

As a result, Son Seong-bin missed both games against Doosan at Jamsil Stadium on the 22nd and 23rd.

The Lotte organization provided an update on Son Seong-bin's condition on the previous day (the 24th). Lotte stated, "After undergoing a checkup at Korea University Anam Hospital, we were informed that the membrane surrounding the tendon of his right middle finger was damaged. While there is some instability, there are no functional issues, so he can play while under management." Fortunately, he avoided a serious injury such as a tendon rupture.

Ahead of today's game, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "The test results came back fine, and there should be no problem playing," but added, "Still, I worry they might get injured again while playing." He further explained, "For now, we'll have him play through the game and monitor his condition based on each situation as it unfolds."

Son Seong-bin graduated from Hwimangdae Elementary School, Gyeonggi Sinheung Middle School, and Jangang High School before being selected in the first round of the 2021 draft to join Lotte. He has since established himself as the team's starting catcher this season, performing exceptionally on both offense and defense. Before today's game, he played in 103 games this season with a batting average of .249 (64 hits in 257 at-bats), six home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.691.

Notably, his defensive performance includes a solid 29.3% stolen base suppression rate and a low 3.8% caught-stealing attempt rate against him, demonstrating one of the strongest arms and best stolen base prevention skills among starting catchers across all 10 league teams. Additionally, Son Seong-bin has shown excellent hitting form, including hitting back-to-back home runs against Kiwoom Heroes on the 18th and 19th. What kind of performance will Son Seong-bin deliver in Gwangju?

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*This content was translated by AI.