"I was taken aback." KIA's Kim Do-young stunned, 'shock at starting lineup exclusion' Choi Hyeong-woo: "There is no particular need to use me as a starter..." [Daegu on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"I found out for the first time and was shocked."

KIA Tigers superstar Kim Do-young (23) could not hide his surprise at the news of the starting lineup exclusion of Choi Hyeong-woo (43, Samsung Lions), a KBO League legend he looks up to.

Choi Hyeong-woo was left off the starting lineup for Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (best-of-five series) against the KIA Tigers, which was scheduled to be held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 25th.

Although the game was canceled due to rain, it appears there will be little change in the starting lineup. This is because the fundamental reason for Choi Hyeong-woo's exclusion from the starting lineup is unlikely to change easily.

Samsung fielded a starting lineup of 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-hyun (shortstop), and Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman) on the day, with Koo Ja-wook filling the designated hitter spot where Choi Hyeong-woo would have been.

Koo Ja-wook, who fell while clutching his thigh during a base run in the game against the Hanwha Eagles on the 30th of last month, has focused on recovery since then but still experiences discomfort in base running and defense.

Since he cannot play defense, there had to be consideration regarding Choi Hyeong-woo for the designated hitter spot, but they could not overlook the batting double crown winner. While it was possible to deploy Choi Hyeong-woo as an outfielder, in a short series, defense is more important, making it difficult to take on uncertain defensive assignments.

Samsung Manager Park Jin-man stated, "It depends on the situation. It is not a picture where he comes out [to start], but if we are behind and he comes out as a pinch hitter 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 play defense," while adding, "In a situation where we are leading, another player must go out to strengthen the defense [after a pinch hit]. It seems difficult to say exactly in advance."

This means Choi Hyeong-woo will wait on the bench as a pinch hitter card and may be substituted after just one at-bat depending on the circumstances.

Upon hearing this news, Kim Do-young said, "From our perspective, I think it is better for him to come out once than to keep coming out," adding, "I found out for the first time that Senior Choi Hyeong-woo was being left out, and I was shocked."

Ranked first in career hits and RBIs, and second in home runs, this season he played 137 games with a batting average of 0.301 (148 hits in 491 at-bats), 18 home runs, 106 RBIs, 61 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.387, a slugging percentage of 0.462, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.

849, and his batting average in scoring position reached 0.333, but this is the bitter reality for Samsung that they have no choice but to use him as a pinch hitter card.

Choi Hyeong-woo was calm. He said, "It is hard even when going out first, but if I go out later, my legs shake. It is outside my domain," adding, "There is a sufficient chance of winning with the current lineup. Is there really a need to send me out to play defense?"

While he can serve as a pinch hitter and potentially handle defense afterward depending on the situation, the scenario where Samsung does not have to use Choi Hyeong-woo as an outfielder is expected to be their best-case outcome.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original