'Even Ko Woo-seok can't play,' and now Son Ju-young is out too — what will happen to LG's back door... Doosan also leaves 'national team second baseman' Park Jun-soon off the WC roster

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A do-or-die battle on a narrow bridge where a single game could determine the outcome. It is a match that should be met with the best possible lineup, yet key players from both teams have been left off the roster side by side.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) released the rosters for the two teams competing in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Wild Card (WC) playoff on the 13th.

While the 30th-man roster was largely composed of expected players, one player who absolutely could not be missing from each team has gone missing.

LG Twins closer Son Ju-young (28) is out with a neck muscle strain, while Doosan Bears national team second baseman Park Jun-soon (20) is out with a thigh injury.

Son Ju-young, who suddenly transformed into the closer after starting closer Yoo Young-chan suffered an early season-ending injury this season, appeared in 47 games and recorded 31 saves (1 win, 2 losses). Despite it being his first time as a closer, he firmly guarded LG's back door to the point of ranking second in that category.

That makes his absence all the more painful. LG has structured its roster with 13 pitchers, 2 catchers, 9 infielders, and 6 outfielders.

Although Ko Woo-seok, a former saves champion, returned at the end of the season and delivered dominant performances, he is unable to appear in the postseason because he missed the player registration deadline.

While John Kennedy is available, key reliever Kim Jin-sung is also out with an injury, and since Ko Woo-seok and Son Ju-young cannot combine for synergy, the key will be how well he can hold up on his own.

Doosan has set its playing roster with 13 pitchers, 3 catchers, 8 infielders, and 6 outfielders. Compared to LG, Doosan added one catcher and removed one infielder.

A powerful starting rotation based on double crown winner Kwak Bin, co-third in wins Choi Min-seok, and Wes Benjamin is a strength, but the absence of Park Jun-soon, who had been a pillar of the lineup, is critical.

Park Jun-soon, who swung a hot bat while wearing the national team jersey to lead the way to a gold medal in baseball at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, felt pain in his right thigh while running the bases during a game against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 4th and was substituted. He was removed from the first division roster on the 6th, but ultimately failed to fully recover and was excluded from the roster.

The one who benefited from Park Jun-soon's absence is veteran Son Ah-seop (38). Although he transferred to Doosan this season, he left a sense of disappointment with a .236 batting average in just 54 games. However, he has now gained an opportunity with Park Jun-soon out.

Whether Son Ah-seop, who ranks third in career hits (2,655) in KBO League history, can fulfill his role could also be a major variable in the short series.

The first game of the WC between LG and Doosan will be held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, starting at 6:30 p.m. on the 14th. LG will start Carlos Karasuko, while Doosan will start Kwak Bin.

LG, which starts with a one-game advantage as the higher-seeded team, will advance to the Junior Playoffs (Junior PO) if they win the first game, while fifth-place Doosan must win both games to reach the Junior PO.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original