'The Autumn Hero Has Returned': .100s Batting Average Plus Injury Aftermath — Kim Young-woong Called Up to First Division, "Since It's Autumn, I Hope to Show Something..." [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Batting average in autumn baseball: .338 (65 at-bats, 22 hits). The hero who led Samsung Lions through their dramatic autumn baseball over the past two years has returned. Can Kim Young-woong (23, Samsung) shed his prolonged slump this season now that autumn has arrived?

On the 24th, ahead of their road game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field, Samsung registered Kim Young-woong in its first division roster and removed Choi Won-tae.

Selected in the second round of the 2022 Rookie Draft, Kim hit 28 home runs in 2024 and 22 last year. This season, however, injuries and poor performance coincided, limiting him to just 45 games with a .173 batting average (156 at-bats, 27 hits) and only four home runs.

He also showed some disappointment in the Futures League with a .256 batting average (43 at-bats, 11 hits), but recently began to show signs of recovery, including hitting a home run against KT Wiz on the 18th, earning his call-up to the first division.

Manager Park Jin-man told reporters before the game, "He still feels some discomfort in his hip area, though not at 100%, but it shouldn't significantly affect his performance. We plan to use him as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement in later innings."

His condition could also allow him to be used as a starting pitcher if needed. We expect such a rebound. Manager Park stated, "Young-woong is a player with destructive power. Our team needs that part of his ability. If his pace improves, he can enter the lineup immediately depending on the situation. We plan to monitor him over several games."

With autumn baseball approaching, Kim Young-woong's historically strong performances in this season are especially crucial. "We know all about the performance and destructive power Kim Young-woong showed during autumn over the past two years," Park said. "Autumn has arrived again, and that aspect is important for our team. We hope Young-woong raises his pace and delivers the same batting display he showed last year and the year before."

In the 2024 Playoffs and Korean Series, Kim hit four home runs and drove in six runs. Last year, he also elevated his hitting form from the Wild Card round onward, exploding with four home runs and 15 RBIs through the Semi-Playoffs and Playoffs.

We eagerly await that momentum continuing. Manager Park remarked, "There are certainly players whose focus intensifies and who experience dopamine release in their bodies due to the atmosphere or circumstances of this season. Young-woong is one of them. We hope he maintains his pace until the end of the season and delivers those performances when autumn baseball arrives."

Second-place Samsung, trailing first-place KT Wiz by three games, set its starting lineup for today as: Park Seung-gyu (center field), Kim Sung-yoon (right field), Koo Ja-wook (left field), Lewin Diaz (first base), Jeon Byeong-woo (third base), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second base), and Kim Sang-jun (shortstop). Ace Ariel Jurado will take the mound as the starting pitcher.

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*This content was translated by AI.