'Oh Ji-hwan returns to No. 7·shortstop; Lee Ju-heon starts third straight game' LG reveals lineup for NC matchup [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

After three days of rest, LG Twins shortstop Oh Ji-hwan (36) has returned to the starting lineup. Catcher prospect Lee Ju-heon (23) has been named in the starting lineup for three consecutive games.

On the 25th, LG announced its starting lineup for the home game against NC Dinos at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

For this game, LG's batting order was set as follows: Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Moon Jung-bin (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Hong Chang-gi (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Anders Tolhurst.

LG arrived at this game after turning a shocking comeback loss in Daejeon into a decisive victory, successfully shifting the team's momentum. Tolhurst, LG's starting pitcher, has recorded 11 wins and 9 losses in 22 games this season with an ERA of 4.49 over 122⅓ innings and 102 strikeouts. Against NC, he has pitched two games with one win, no losses, an ERA of 2.92, 12⅓ innings, and allowed only four earned runs, showing strong performance.

The opposing pitcher is Curtis Taylor (31). Taylor has posted a record of 7 wins and 6 losses in 21 games with an ERA of 4.84 over 113⅓ innings and 85 strikeouts. Against LG, he has two games with one win, no losses, and an ERA of 6.97, which is not favorable.

The most notable change is Oh Ji-hwan's return to the starting lineup at shortstop. This season, Oh Ji-hwan has struggled with a batting average of 0.239 (77 hits in 322 at-bats) across 104 games, along with nine home runs and 50 RBIs, posting an OPS of 0.694. In his last 10 games, he hit just 0.212 (7 hits in 33 at-bats), and he did not play during the past weekend.

Lee Ju-heon's three consecutive starts as a backup catcher also stand out. This season, Lee has played 56 games with a batting average of 0.225 (23 hits in 102 at-bats), four home runs, and 17 RBIs, resulting in an OPS of 0.661—below expectations. However, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop has classified Lee as a future asset and continues to give him opportunities.

Ahead of the Hanwha Eagles game on the 23rd in Daejeon, Manager Yeom stated, "Even after the comeback loss on the 21st, Ju-heon still lacks experience, so that can happen. That's why he keeps getting playing time. Ju-heon is a catcher who needs to keep gaining experience."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original