There's a 4.5 game difference..., KIA's bad news vs Samsung's good news → Will it signal a trade? Moonlight Series is drawing attention
Jul 16, 2024
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KIA Tigers, who are leading the way with a relatively generous margin of 4.5 games. Negative negative news continues. The injury in the relay on the mound side is deepening the anxiety.
The Samsung Lions, who are chasing No. 1 KIA, are against it. There is positive news. Two-stroke key players, who will be a great addition to the power, are waiting.
The leading KIA Tigers are on alert. This is because Yoon Young-chul (20), a second-year left-hander who was guarding the starting rotation, was found to have a fracture of spinal fatigue as a result of cross-examination.
KIA team officially announced on the 15th that Yoon Young-chul, who came down from the mound due to back pain during the game against SSG at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 13th, received a spinal fatigue fracture as a result of a double check on the 15th (Sejong Sports Orthopedic Surgery, Leon Orthopedic Surgery). It was then announced that 'It is scheduled to be re-examined in 3 weeks, and the timing of return will be determined after re-examination.'"
Yoon Young-chul, who was canceled from the entry on the 14th, will focus on treatment and rehabilitation to recover from his injury. As he has been diagnosed with fatigue fractures, it is expected to take at least a month to return.
The starting mound, which left until Yoon Young-chul due to foreign Will Crow and Lee Eui-ri's season out.
The Crow gap was filled with Cam Aldred, but the gap between the two native left-handers is not easy to fill.
In the bullpen, Jung Hae-young and Choi Ji-min are also out for a while due to shoulder muscle pain and back-batting injuries, respectively. Unlike Choi Ji-min, who will return after 10 days off, Jung Hae-young, who is scheduled to return after the 20th, needs to pay close attention because he felt uncomfortable on his throwing shoulder.
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All-weather pitcher Kim Yoon-soo (25) will be discharged from the military and join the three consecutive away games against KIA in China, while new foreign hitter Ruben Cardenas (27) will also join Busan on the weekend after playing a Futures League game this week.
Kim Yun-soo, who has been discharged from the military, is scheduled to register for the first team on the 17. It grew up stormy while playing for Sangmu. He was in the process of winning three gold medals by transforming into a starter, winning multiple games, ERA, and striking out first.
He played 74 innings in 14 Futures League games this season, recording 8 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 2.43, and 86 strikeouts. He had a lot of walks when he was a bullpen pitcher in the first team before joining the military, but he was stable with 39 walks and 86 strikeouts in 74 innings while playing as a starter in the Futures League. As we will know only when we return to the first-team stage, it is a resource that can be used as a starter and bullpen all-weather.
Cardenas, a right-handed outfielder who came to Korea with 20 home runs in Triple-A, is a player who will take the center stage of the lineup.
After arriving in Korea on the 13th, he will warm up in the Futures League after solving visa problems and jet lag, and will play as the fourth batter from the match against Lotte in Daegu on the 19th. Although it is his first time in an overseas league, he is expected to be cheerful, active, and even humble. He is a player who will give great strength to the batting lineup if he quickly adapts to the Asian baseball style.
No. 1 KIA and No. 2 Samsung have mixed bad news and good news.
Of course, baseball does not go as expected. We cannot rule out the possibility that such an extreme situation will serve as an opportunity for a reversal to accelerate surprise trade.
At least one thing, it's as good as the prospect that the lead fight will be more intense than the hot summer.
KIA and Samsung will play three consecutive games of Moonlight Series in Gwangju from the 16th. In the first match, Yang Hyun-jong and Reyes will face off as starters for a head start.
hschung@sportschosun.com
