[Official Announcement] Ryu Ji-hyunho, AG 金 Possibility UP! 'Kwak Bin's Friend' Taiwan Ace Withdraws Due to Injury → Wang Yencheng Final Selection

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A major boost has come for Ryu Ji-hyunho, who aims to win gold in baseball at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. One of Taiwan's "one-two punch" pitchers and a familiar face to domestic fans, Lin Wei-yang (26, Nippon-Ham Fighters), has been knocked out due to injury.

According to multiple Taiwanese media outlets including TTV, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) officially announced the final 24-man roster for the Asian Games on the 7th. The most notable point in this roster is the exclusion of Lin Wei-yang, Taiwan's undisputed ace.

Reports indicate that Lin Wei-yang suffered a left abdominal muscle injury during recent training and decided to withdraw from the team. Right-handed pitcher Huang Chung-shiang, who plays for a Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the minor leagues, was brought in as an emergency replacement. However, losing a reliable "counted-on" number-one starter is considered a painful loss of strength for Taiwan.

Lin Wei-yang earned the familiar nickname "Kwak Bin's Friend" from domestic fans due to his special friendship with Doosan Bears' Kwak Bin, but on the field, he has always been a nightmare-inducing rival for the Korean lineup. His pitching performance during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Round 1 Group C matchup at Tokyo Dome last March left a deep impression on the Korean baseball community.

Starting against South Korea, Lin Wei-yang showcased nearly perfect scoreless pitching through four innings, leading with heavy fastballs clocked in the mid-to-late 150 km/h range. He was pulled down in the bottom of the fifth inning with no outs and runners on first and third. Subsequently, left-handed pitcher Lin Wei-en (affiliated with the Oakland Athletics) induced a double play from Shae Whitcomb, but the runner from third base scored at home plate, increasing his earned run total.

Lin Wei-yang's final stats for that game were 4 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 1 strikeout, and 1 earned run. Ultimately, Taiwan leveraged Lin Wei-yang's brilliant performance to defeat South Korea 5-4 in a tense extra-inning battle. For Ryu Ji-hyunho, the top-ranked opponent he must guard against will not be participating in the tournament.

However, complacency is dangerous. Taiwan still boasts formidable mound resources. Left-handed pitcher Lin Wei-min from Arizona remains on the roster. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Wang Yencheng, who has been a key part of Hanwha Eagles' starting rotation in the KBO League since this season, has been selected to lead the starting lineup. Wang Yencheng's addition is a challenging factor as he thoroughly understands the characteristics of Korean batters.

In addition, Taiwan remains a team that must be closely watched, with strong overseas players such as Pan Yuan-hui (Philadelphia), Chen Chien-wei (Lamigo Monkeys), and Liu Chi-hung (Wei-Chuan Dragons), along with veterans from professional and industrial baseball joining the squad. Also joining is Liu Ju-lung, well known as "Kang Baek-ho's Friend." There are two players active in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and three in Major League Baseball (MLB). The overseas contingent totals six players including Wang Yencheng, while five players belong to the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). The remaining 12 players are from Taiwan's industrial baseball leagues.

With Lin Wei-yang, who was the most reliable weapon for determining victory or defeat in short-term tournaments, departing, Ryu Ji-hyunho now has a clear breathing room in his mound calculations. However, it remains to be seen whether Ryu Ji-hyunho can overcome new challenges posed by Lin Wei-min and Wang Yencheng and seize Taiwan's loss of strength as an opportunity to reach the summit of the Asian Games.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original