*This content was translated by AI.
Regarding An Woo-jin (27, Kiwoom Heroes), Korea's representative ace, the manager diagnosed that his physical condition is not yet at 100%. This implies he has the potential to become even stronger in next season.
An Woo-jin appeared in 19 games this season, recording 3 wins and 7 losses with an ERA of 3.70. His detailed statistics include 90 innings pitched, 83 hits allowed (7 home runs), 30 walks, 106 strikeouts, 39 runs allowed (37 earned runs), a WHIP of 1.26, and a batting average against of 0.239. He achieved five quality starts (starting pitcher pitching at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs).
On the 29th, An Woo-jin started against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium but struggled, giving up seven hits (one home run), three walks, and five runs (all earned) over five innings, resulting in a loss. The game drew extra attention as it featured a matchup between two of Korea's representative aces: An Woo-jin and Kwak Bin. However, he failed to dominate his opponent.
How did the manager view this? Before the game on the 30th, Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin addressed questions about An Woo-jin, stating, "He pitched well through the fourth inning, but after giving up a home run in the fifth, his balance seemed to waver. He also allowed two walks, which was regrettable."
As Manager Seol noted, An Woo-jin had been pitching effectively, allowing only one run through the fourth inning. However, he suddenly lost control after two outs in the fifth. After giving up a double to Park Chan-ho, he then surrendered a go-ahead two-run home run over the right-center field fence by Ahn Jae-seok. He subsequently allowed a hit to Park Jun-soon and issued consecutive walks to Yang Eui-ji and Kim Min-seok, bringing the bases loaded. Finally, he gave up a two-run single to Severino.
Ultimately, An Woo-jin's outing ended after five innings. Although his pitch count was only 78, the manager decided not to keep him in for the sixth inning but instead brought in Lee Kang-jun.
Manager Seol explained, "His four-seam fastball command was off in the fifth inning, leading to a hit-by-pitch and an additional hit allowed. Without proper balance, his control suddenly faltered. Therefore, we decided to limit him to five innings and made the substitution for future considerations."
An Woo-jin was scheduled to rejoin the team after being released from his social service duty in September last year. However, a month earlier in August, he suffered a shoulder injury during additional training after appearing in Kiwoom's internal practice game between the white and blue teams. He ultimately underwent surgery on his right shoulder ligament in September. Since then, An Woo-jin has focused on rehabilitation and began making consistent appearances this season starting with one inning against the Lotte Giants on April 12. However, this season should be viewed more as a period for adaptation and recovery rather than immediate results.
When asked about this, Manager Seol stated, "He claims he is currently perfect, but in my view, he is not yet fully ready. There are times when his balance is off, so I cannot say he is at 100%. That is why, even after the game on the 29th ended in the fifth inning, I decided to remove him from the mound because I felt it would be unwise for him to continue with that same imbalance into the sixth."
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*This content was translated by AI.
