Main catcher and second baseman → Pilseungjo is also on the line...There are only five players with a sword on their body. Lotte, will you overcome nightmares in the new year?

Jan 07, 2025

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

The main catcher and must-win team were out of the season in the middle of summer. Some players have undergone surgery and rehabilitation after the season, and some have delayed their enlistment due to pain.

Will the Lotte Giants be able to shake off their injury nightmares in the new year. The result of being held back by injuries of major players every time they rode a good flow was the fall baseball failure for the seventh consecutive year.

Just before the opening of the exhibition game, Kim Min-seok (currently Doosan Bears) left due to ruptured internal oblique muscles. Since then, Han Dong-hee, Hwang Sung-bin, Jeon Joon-woo, Jung Hoon and Son Ho-young have suffered a series of hamstring and internal oblique muscle injuries. Yoo Kang-nam and Choi Jun-yong each underwent knee and shoulder surgery and ended the season. Shim Jae-min, who was suffering from injury, did not return to the mound in the end and promised next season.

Lotte worked hard to improve and nurture its off-season squad. By establishing an unscheduled overseas final training session, the new players' basic skills have been refined. One-club man FA Kim Won-joong and Koo Seung-min both collapsed and tried to crack down on the inside.

롯데 김진욱. Sports Chosun DB

Ko Seung-min and Son Sung-bin, who suffered from chronic pain, underwent surgery and worked hard on rehabilitation. Jeon Mir, who was complaining of elbow pain, also underwent elbow surgery, and Kim Jin-wook canceled his enlistment in the Armed Forces Sports Unit due to injury and decided to aim for this season along with rehabilitation.

Except for Jeon Mir, who underwent surgery late, the team will participate in the spring camp, which will begin at the end of January, and will be at war over the entry of the new season.

In the case of the starting team, two positions except for Barnes, Davidson, and Park Se-woong are key. Except for Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong and veteran Kim Sang-soo and Han Hyun-hee, the bullpen is close to Muju Gongsan.

Kim Jin-wook and Na Kyun-an are one step ahead in the competition for selection, but Lee Min-seok, Shim Jae-min, Chung Hyun-soo, Choi Yi-joon, Lee Byung-joon, and Park Joon-woo are looking at the opportunity to search for good luck. The bullpen is also expected to be contested by Park Jin-Kim Kang-hyun and Song Jae-young, who stood out last year, and veteran Jin Hae-soo, Park Jin-hyung and Park Si-young, starting with Choi Joon-yong, who returned from injury, and Jeong Cheol-won, who joined in a trade.

Above all, the main room that will catch them should be stabilized. '8 billion FA' Yoo Kang-nam's responsibility is expected to remain. Competition among catchers, including Son Seong-bin and Information-geun, is still fierce.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

The lineup, which succeeded in large-scale rebuilding last year and ranked second in team batting average and team OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), is reliable. Son Ho-young and Ko Seung-min and Na Seung-yeop in the infield and Yoon Dong-hee and Reyes in the outfield are solid. The key is Park Seung-wook's position in the competition every year. Jeon Min-jae, who was acquired through a trade, and rookie Lee Ho-joon, Kang Sung-woo, and Han Tae-yang seem to be challenging.

As long as there is no injury, Lotte's power is second to the level of the five strongest teams. However, the baseball community does not seem to consider Lotte as a candidate for the best five this year. Professional baseball is an ultra-long race in which 144 games are played. Debs management of not only the main players but also the comprehensive squad is the team's class.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.