'Choi Hyeong-woo on the bench!' Samsung's painful reality, 'We have to use Koo Ja-wook...' Manager Park Jin-man is in a tough spot [Daegu On-Site Lineup]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Choi Hyeong-woo (43), the batter Samsung can most confidently rely on, was excluded from the starting lineup beginning with Game 1 of the Playoffs (PO). This highlights a major concern for Samsung.

Samsung will play Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (best-of-five series) against the KIA Tigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 25th.

Due to rain that has continued since the previous day, whether Game 1 can start as scheduled remains uncertain. Amid a situation where everyone is watching the sky, attention shifted to Samsung's announced starting lineup.

On this day, Samsung set its starting lineup with Kim Ji-chan (center fielder) - Kim Seong-yoon (right fielder) - Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter) - Lewin Diaz (first baseman) - Kang Min-ho (catcher) - Park Seung-gyu (left fielder) - Kim Yeong-woong (third baseman) - Lee Jae-hyeon (shortstop) - Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman).

The most notable point is Choi Hyeong-woo's absence. Koo Ja-wook fell while clutching his thigh during a base run in the game against the Hanwha Eagles on the 30th of last month and was unable to play in the remaining games due to a hamstring injury. After focusing on recovery, Koo Ja-wook returned as the third batter on this day but will not appear in defensive positions.

He took the designated hitter spot because playing defense would be difficult. This was an expected scenario up to this point. However, predictions that Choi Hyeong-woo might be able to handle defense proved wrong. Ultimately, he will wait on the bench as a pinch-hitter card.

Manager Park Jin-man, who met with the press before the game, explained, "(Koo) Ja-wook's lineup position may change depending on his physical condition, but there is absolutely no problem with him batting as he has improved significantly." He added, "Running is not at 100%, but it is possible to some extent. Whether Ja-wook is in the batting order or not makes a difference in the order. That determines whether Choi Hyeong-woo goes out to defense or not. Considering the importance of defense as well, Ja-wook was prioritized for the lineup, and since (Park) Seung-gyu seemed fine on the outfield side, he was used as the left fielder."

Ultimately, in a situation where both Koo Ja-wook and Choi Hyeong-woo had to be utilized as designated hitters, they chose Koo Ja-wook, who won the batting double crown this season.

It is painfully difficult to have to sit the living legend Choi Hyeong-woo on the bench, but Samsung has no other option. How will Choi Hyeong-woo's defensive utility be used when he can come out as a pinch-hitter at the most critical moments? Manager Park said, "It varies depending on the situation. It is not a picture where he comes out and cannot play, but if he comes out as a pinch-hitter while trailing in a situation where we need to chase, it would be a waste to end it with just one at-bat. In that case, he might go out to defense." He continued, "In a situation where we are leading, another player must come out after (the pinch-hit) to strengthen the lineup. It seems difficult to say exactly in advance."

The judgment is that Koo Ja-wook cannot play defense immediately. Manager Park said, "We will allow him to focus only on batting," and added, "If we can check his physical condition each time and he can also play defense, it would be a great help. Because being in or out of the batting order due to injury makes a big difference, we will check that aspect while playing the game."

The gap left by Kim Jae-yoon, who was knocked down by injury, is also very large. Manager Park said, "Since the injury happened suddenly, it has not been precisely determined yet, but we are planning to utilize all pitchers who can be used depending on the situation and batting order."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original