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| Yoni Chirinos / Photo=DB |
LG will host the KT Wiz at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 29th as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League.
Ahead of the game, LG announced its starting lineup.
The Twins will open with Hong Chang-gi (RF), Shin Min-jae (2B), Austin Dean (1B), Moon Bo-kyung (DH), Park Dong-won (C), Moon Sung-ju (LF), Oh Ji-hwan (SS), Gu Bon-hyeok (3B) and Park Hae-min (CF). Im Chan-gyu is the scheduled starter.
Before the game, Yeom spoke with reporters.
In Wednesday's opener, LG went with Chirinos, but he allowed six runs in the first inning and was pulled early in the second.
Yeom said, \"He told me his lower back was bothering him. We pulled him as a precaution because it wouldn't make sense for him to continue pitching. He says he feels better than yesterday, but we want to run a more detailed exam.\"
Im Chan-gyu will take the mound in the club's second game. Yeom explained, \"We originally planned to use Son Ju-young, but we didn't want to push him, so we set it up this way. We decided it’s better to bring him in once he's fully ready.\"
Moon Bo-kyung will serve as the designated hitter again. Yeom said, \"We plan to put him back in the field next week once he's fully ready. It's early in the season, and rushing him could lead to an injury and a longer recovery, so we'll keep him at DH until he's 100 percent.\"
While LG's offense showed up in the opener, the pitching staff struggled. Yeom said, \"The hitters are trending in the right direction, but our pitchers haven't caught up yet. It's still early, so they need time. I expect starters to get into form after about two rotations.\"
He added, \"Data shows players who ramp up later tend to stay healthier longer. Those who peak too early often fatigue sooner.\"
One encouraging sign was reliever Woo Kang-hoon, who looked strong out of the bullpen. Yeom noted, \"Kang-hoon has been building since spring training. I plan to use him in tighter situations.\"
He continued, \"If Kang-hoon comes through this year, it will be a big boost for us. We need one or two relievers to step up to match last year's performances. Although we lost yesterday, it gave us a chance to test the bullpen.\"
For LG, Woo stood out; for KT, 19-year-old rookie shortstop Lee Kang-min shined. Lee went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the opener.
Yeom said, \"He looked composed and mentally strong. Manager Lee Kang-cheol does a good job developing young players, so I expect he'll keep improving.\"
Despite the opening-day loss, LG found positives. A late rally forced KT to exhaust several high-leverage relievers, and closer Park Young-hyun threw 34 pitches over 1.2 innings, making his availability for this game uncertain. LG, meanwhile, has Jang Hyun-sik, Yoo Young-chang and Kim Jin-seong ready in the bullpen.
Yeom said, \"We'll use everyone whether we're ahead or behind. With a day off tomorrow, it's better to get a feel for things. Jang Hyun-sik, Yoo Young-chang and Kim Jin-seong will all be available. If we're ahead, Kang-hoon will likely be used as well.\"
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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