NC, with a "last chance for a fall playoff berth," places Kim Ju-won, who won the "Asian Games gold medal," directly into the starting lineup... Manager Lee Ho-jun: "Now that Ju-won is back, I hope we can win in a row" [Jamsil on-site report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ju-won (24, NC Dinos), a key figure in winning the gold medal at the Asian Games, was immediately placed into the starting lineup upon his return. This is because NC's situation is dire.

NC will play a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against the Doosan Bears on the 29th at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

With 10 games remaining until the end of the regular season, NC sits in sixth place, trailing fifth-place Doosan by six games. If they sweep this three-game series, the gap could narrow to three games.

Both players and coaches are well aware of the importance of this game. Manager Lee Ho-jun also acknowledged the significance of this three-game series but kept his words brief, saying, "We just have to do it."

Actions speak louder than words. The will to win was reflected in the lineup. NC fielded Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Cheon Jae-hwan (right fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Blaine Crim (designated hitter), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Shin Jae-in (first baseman), and Oh Tae-yang (center fielder) in the starting lineup. Lee Jae-hak will take the mound as the starting pitcher.

Although he may be fatigued after completing the tournament, he returned directly to the starting lineup. Manager Lee said, "He told me his condition is fine. I was planning to rest him for a day or so, but he said he was okay."

His condition was not ideal before joining the national team. His batting average over the last 10 games was just .167. As South Korea's starting shortstop in this tournament, he performed brilliantly in five games with a .444 batting average (8 hits in 18 at-bats), four walks, two RBIs, two runs scored, an on-base percentage of .545, a slugging percentage of .444, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .989.

Manager Lee Ho-jun recalled the situation in the eighth inning of the final against Japan. With the teams tied 1-1 in the top of the eighth inning and a runner on third base with one out, Kim Ju-won picked off a difficult pitch well and walked to first base. Manager Lee said, "We would have been hit much harder if we had thrown that kind of ball there, but fortunately he held his composure." He added, "Watching on TV, I noticed Ju-won swings a lot at outside pitches, so I told the pitcher to be careful with high pitches and just throw inside. But the catcher kept holding the mitt only on the outside. Still, he managed to hold off on the outside pitch at the end. I realized he had shown incredible concentration."

Manager Lee said, "We lost a lot of games in a row when Ju-won was absent. Now that Ju-won is back, it would be great if we could win in a row," adding, "The range of our defense is different too," expressing his expectations.

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*This content was translated by AI.