'When will Wang Yencheng arrive?' Taiwan also watching closely; Lin Weimin has already joined... Chances of Wang Yencheng starting in the 'AG vs. Korea' game are dwindling

*This content was translated by AI.

"He will pitch one more time."

Wang Yencheng (25), the ace of the Hanwha Eagles who is set to carry Taiwan's national team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, is expected to fulfill his starting assignment right up until the moment he joins the national squad.

Kim Kyung-moon (68), manager of the Hanwha Eagles, stated on the 10th ahead of the away game against SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field that "He will appear one more time. He will pitch once more and then join the Taiwan national team."

Wang Yencheng, who joined Hanwha this season under the Asian quota, has secured 11 wins and is delivering top-tier performance. He is also the team's leading winner among pitchers.

Although he suffered from pneumonia, he has fully recovered. Wang Yencheng expressed confidence, saying, "Since I rested once, I feel like my condition has been brought to its peak."

He is also the Taiwanese pitcher who knows Korea best after playing in the KBO League for a season. In particular, Moon Hyun-bin mentioned that he wants to hit Wang's pitches, adding, "I've seen his pitching a lot from center field, so I probably know well how to hit it." He further stated, "I think I will face opponents as I always do. I hope everyone plays without injury and performs well. If we meet, I hope we have a great game against each other."

However, his remaining one starting assignment has emerged as the biggest variable. Wang Yencheng is a reliable card that the Taiwan national team, which excluded Kuei Lun-yang due to injury, trusts. Therefore, there is intense interest in the local area regarding when Wang Yencheng can join. This is because it will help gauge whether he will appear in the group stage opener against Korea on the 21st.

Wang Yencheng delivered a strong performance of six innings with one run allowed in the game against LG Twins on the 9th, securing his 11th win. If considering only Hanwha's rotation schedule, it would be normal for Owen White to start against KIA Tigers on the 13th, Ryu Hyun-jin against KT Wiz on the 15th, and Wang Yencheng to face KT on the 16th.

However, if consideration is given to joining the national team, he could also appear in the game against KT on the 15th. Since it is a game played after five days of rest, there would be no issue with his appearance if only the rotation order is adjusted. In this case, he could face Korea after another five-day break.

However, issues such as flight schedules and environmental adaptation make it uncertain whether a five-day break will be sufficient. If he appears in the KT game on the 16th before departing, his chances of starting against Korea become even lower. Taiwan's Now News interpreted the possibility of appearing on the 15th as a positive signal for participation in the game against Korea, but expressed concern about appearing on the 16th, stating, "He would only have four days to rest. Facing a powerful Korean batting lineup while fatigue accumulates is a risky choice."

According to another Taiwanese media outlet, ET Today, Taiwan manager Tang Deng-kai emphasized that "we must send our best pitcher in the first game." Meanwhile, another candidate for starting against Korea, Lin Weimin, crossed over to Japan on the 11th to join the national team, whereas Wang Yencheng has not yet completed all league assignments. Manager Tang Deng-kai set the deadline for the full assembly of the national team as the 18th, just three days before the first game. This suggests that he is aware Wang Yencheng's call-up may come later than expected and that his appearance against Korea could be difficult.

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*This content was translated by AI.