[Official] Major setback for Samsung! Closer with 35 saves 'finally' excluded from final roster, batting champion Gu Ja-wook joins dramatically... KIA confirms 30-man PO roster 'including Kim Do-young'

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The Samsung Lions, who finished second in the regular season, faced a major setback one day before the playoffs (PO). Closer Kim Jae-yoon (36), who recorded 35 saves, was excluded from the final roster due to injury. On the other hand, batting champion Gu Ja-wook (33), whose return had been uncertain due to a left hamstring injury, made the list dramatically.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) officially announced the participant lists for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (best-of-five series) between Samsung and the KIA Tigers on the 24th.

Both teams composed their 40-man participant lists with one manager, nine coaches, and 30 players each. Samsung registered 12 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders, and nine outfielders, while KIA countered with 14 pitchers, three catchers, seven infielders, and six outfielders.

The most notable development is the absence of Samsung closer Kim Jae-yoon. Kim appeared in 64 games during this year's regular season, recording a 7-5 record, 35 saves, and an ERA of 3.22. However, an unexpected variable arose ahead of the PO: an injury to his right rectus femoris.

The Samsung club had earlier stated that "a detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed damage to the muscle and fascia of Kim Jae-yoon's right rectus femoris." Microscopic bleeding was observed along the fascia, and the extent of the damage was diagnosed as Grade 1. Medical staff advised that at least two weeks of rest and recovery are necessary.

Losing a reliable closer in a short series is a significant blow for Samsung. In place of Kim Jae-yoon, Samsung constructed its PO roster with 13 pitchers: Lee Jae-hee, Won Tae-in, Lee Seung-hyun, Kim Tae-hoon, Choi Won-tae, Lee Seung-min, Bae Chan-seung, Im Ki-young, Yang Chang-seop, Chris Fedde, Jang Chan-hee, Miyamori Satoshi, and Ariel Hurdado.

The silver lining is the inclusion of captain Gu Ja-wook. Gu was a standout performer this season, winning the batting title with a .371 batting average (156 hits in 420 at-bats), 15 home runs, 102 RBIs, 88 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .458, a slugging percentage of .581, and an OPS of 1.039 across 114 games. However, he injured his left hamstring while sliding into second base in a game against the Hanwha Eagles on September 30. A detailed examination confirmed tendon damage at the origin of the long head of the biceps femoris, preventing him from playing in the remaining regular season games.

Samsung focused on Gu Ja-wook's recovery ahead of the postseason. He received a report on the 15th that bleeding and swelling had subsided during a re-examination, and he played as the designated hitter in an internal scrimmage on the 19th, recording a hit. Consequently, he was included in the PO roster. However, since he is recovering from a hamstring injury, it remains to be seen whether he can handle normal base running and defense. In addition to Gu Ja-wook, the lineup largely includes existing key hitters such as Lewin Diaz, Kim Young-woong, Kang Min-ho, and others. Unlike the mound, which lost Kim Jae-yoon, the batting lineup has retained most of its core strength.

KIA aims to continue the upward momentum it displayed in the Junior Playoffs (Junior PO). KIA finished third in the regular season with a 79-2-63 record (.556 winning percentage). In the Junior PO, they defeated the LG Twins, who had advanced by beating Doosan in the Wild Card Series, in a three-game sweep. After winning the first game in Gwangju on the 17th by a score of 5-1, they won the second game on the 18th by a score of 6-3. In the third game in Jamsil on the 20th, they secured a decisive 13-1 victory led by a bases-loaded home run from Kim Do-young (23).

With this, KIA achieved its first-ever Junior PO series victory in club history, including the era when it was known as the Haitai Tigers. They also shed the stigma of having a 2-9 record across four previous Junior PO appearances.

KIA registered 14 pitchers for this PO as well. The roster includes starting pitching resources such as James Neal, Adam Ottavino, Yang Hyeon-jong, and Lee Yi-ri, along with key bullpen resources including Jung Hae-young, Jeon Sang-hyun, Jo Sang-woo, and Kim Bum-su. Shiraoka Keisuke, who earned the starting win in the third Junior PO game, also made the list. The batting lineup includes Kim Do-young, Na Seung-beom (37), Kim Sun-bin (37), Harold Castro, and Kim Ho-ryeong (34). In particular, Kim Do-young hit three home runs in the Junior PO, leading KIA to a three-game sweep.

Samsung leads in regular season records. Samsung secured a direct berth to the PO by finishing second with an 83-3-58 record (.589 winning percentage). However, in head-to-head matchups, KIA held the advantage with a 9-7 record. KIA concluded the Junior PO in just three games, securing four days of rest. In contrast, while Samsung had ample time to prepare for the PO, they will face their first game with variables including Gu Ja-wook's physical condition and the absence of Kim Jae-yoon.

The foreign aces will face off in Game 1. Samsung has announced Fedde as its starter, while KIA will start Neal. Fedde recorded a 7-3 record and an ERA of 2.95 in 13 games this year, while Neal posted a 13-7 record and an ERA of 3.49 in 31 games. Game 1 of the PO between the two teams will be held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park at 2 p.m. on the 25th. The winner of the best-of-five series will face the KT Wiz, who finished first in the regular season, in the Korea Series.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original