adminAt the end of the first half, the majority of registered pitchers have taken the mound for the first team. While there are positive aspects of utilizing the squad extensively and keeping them motivated, there are also regrets about the starting pitching depth. Of the 34 registered pitchers, 29 of them, except for five, have already taken the mound for the first team.
Before the game against KT in Jamsil, which was canceled due to rain on the 4th, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yup revealed that he had selected Cho Won-tae as the starting pitcher against Sasak Lotte on the 9th.
Yeom said, “I actually thought about calling him to the first team a week ago. At that time, he was pitching well for three games in a row. He hasn’t pitched well lately, but his second-team report was good, so I decided to call him up. He’s a left-handed pitcher that we need to develop, so I think it’s okay if he does well for three innings.”
The conditions of the call-up are strict. “When I get a report from the second team, I don’t look at anything else. Even if he throws 160 kilometers, if his pitches aren’t good, he won’t be called up. I decided to call up Won-tae after receiving a report that his fastball was good.”
Cho Won-tae was selected in the first round of the 2022 KBO Draft. He appeared in two games for the first team last year and topped out at 148 mph in the first game. This year, he has been steadily rotating in the second team. Contrary to the original plan, only Lim Chan-kyu has been able to establish himself in the homegrown starting lineup, and almost every pitcher has been given a chance to start.
Only 10 pitchers have started for the first team this season. After the opening rotation of Casey Kelly, Kim Yun-sik, Adam Plutko, Lee Min-ho, and Kang Hyo-jong, Im Chan-kyu, Park Myung-geun, Lee Ji-gang, Lee Sang-young, and Lee Jung-yong have started. Until last week, the rotation was Kelly, Plutko, Lee Jung-yong, Im Chan-kyu, and Lee Ji-gang. The rotation of Im, Chan-kyu, Kelly, Plutko, Lee, and Won-tae Cho is likely to be used for the five games this week. Lee Ji-gang will be the +1 after the starters.
With Cho Won-tae on the first team, LG will have 29 of its 34 registered pitchers on the first team this season. There are 33 registered pitchers before the start of the season, with Lee Sang-kyu registered and making seven appearances for the first team. Aside from Cho Won-tae, the other registered pitchers who have yet to appear in the first team are Kim Yu-young, Kim Ju-wan, Son Ju-young, Lim Jung-woo, and Heo Jun-hyuk.
Of these, Heo Jun-hyuk enlisted in the military and was placed on the military reserve list. Kim Yoo-young, who was designated as compensation for the Yoo Kang-nam trade to Lotte last winter, is out for the season after undergoing surgery. That leaves three pitchers: left-handed prospects Kim Ju-wan and Son Ju-young, and veteran Lim Jung-woo.
If Cho Won-tae returns as scheduled, Son will be the final starter. After undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery last year, Son has consistently rotated in the second team, just like Cho Won-tae. Last month, he pitched six innings (three runs) against the NC in the Futures League, his longest outing since the surgery.메이저사이트
It’s not the end of the road for Yoon. Yeom is hoping that Kim Yun-sik and Lee Min-ho, who are currently on the second team, will find their form and return. Both have been sidelined with injuries, so Icheon hopes they can get back to full strength and be a late-season backup.
Of course, the priority is on the current pitchers. With Lee Jung-yong in the rotation as the fourth starter, it will be interesting to see if rookie Cho Won-tae seizes the opportunity that has come his way.