Park Jin-man praises 'ace' Won Tae-in: "Home run allowed? Now on the right track" — On excluding Choi Hyung-woo from the starting lineup...

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) offered unreserved praise for "blue-blood ace" Won Tae-in (26), who delivered a quality start (QS) performance in yesterday's (3rd) game but narrowly missed securing the win. Although he allowed one home run, Park evaluated that both his pitching content and game management have now firmly returned to their proper track. He also shared updates on the physical condition of veteran Choi Hyung-woo (43), who was omitted from the starting lineup for the April 4th matchup against LG Twins, as well as future plans for mound usage.

Won Tae-in started in the home game against Lotte Giants at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 3rd, pitching six innings while allowing seven hits (one home run) and two earned runs to achieve a quality start, solidly anchoring the mound. However, he finished without a decision in the game. He was pulled from the mound after surrendering a two-run homer to Han Dong-hee in the sixth inning. Samsung ultimately lost 2-3.

On the following day, April 4th, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, manager Park Jin-man responded to reporters' questions about Won Tae-in's pitching by saying, "Regardless of the result, when looking at the performance, it seems Won Tae-in has definitely returned to his proper track," offering ample praise.

Regarding the home run allowed to opposing batter Han Dong-hee, Manager Park stated, "That pitch was a ball, not a strike. It wasn't even a mistake; the batter simply hit it very well." He added, "Tae-in himself looked bewildered immediately after the home run. Since he pushed out a pitch outside the strike zone and it went over, we must acknowledge that the batter hit it well. Won Tae-in fulfilled his role on the mound as best he could," offering reassurance.

He continued, "In the process of pitching six innings, his stuff and game management skills have returned to how they were at their peak. Although he didn't secure the win yesterday, he fully did his part as a starter," giving him a thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, regarding veteran batter Choi Hyung-woo, who was excluded from the starting lineup that day, Park drew a clear line by stating it was "simply for conditioning management." When asked about Choi's omission, the manager explained, "It is absolutely not because of any physical abnormality. He was given rest as part of his conditioning management. He is being prepared as a pinch hitter from the bench so he can enter at any time when the game reaches its critical late stages."

He also previewed an all-out effort regarding future mound usage amid a fierce standings battle. Manager Park declared, "There are only about 20 games left in the season. The race for the standings is extremely tight, so we cannot relax our tension. If situations arise and players' conditions allow, we may have to accept three consecutive starts if necessary," showing his determination.

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*This content was translated by AI.