Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man sighed in relief, noting that the injury to foreign pitcher Denny Reyes (29) is not as serious as initially thought.
Park Jin-man mentioned in an interview before the practice game against the LG Twins on March 1 at Akama Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, "Reyes underwent a precise examination in Korea, and it turns out it is not as bad as we expected. His return might be sooner than we thought."
Reyes recorded 11 wins and 4 losses with an earned run average of 3.81 over 26 games (144 innings) last season. He made a strong impression in the postseason with 3 wins and an earned run average of 0.44 over 3 games (20⅔ innings) and successfully re-signed for this season. He is expected to play a key role as the number one starter this year.
However, on the 27th of last month, during spring training, troubling news emerged. Reyes returned to Korea early due to a stress fracture injury. If Reyes's injury lingers, it could disrupt Samsung's starting rotation plans.
Park Jin-man noted, "It might be premature to say the exact timing for his return. If there is no pain over the next ten days or so, he may be able to begin technical training. It seems likely that his return will be sooner than we initially thought," adding, "If Reyes's injury lingers and there are gaps in the starting rotation, we plan for Baek Jung-hyun to enter the rotation. We were already considering him as the sixth starting pitcher."
A Samsung official explained, "Reyes returned on February 27 due to symptoms of a stress fracture in the right foot metatarsal. On February 28, he underwent additional examinations at two domestic hospitals, and compared to the diagnosis from the hospital in Japan, the bone healing is progressing well. There is a possibility that the pain is temporary due to increased physical activity, so we will check the pain relief status through treatment over the next two weeks before setting a training schedule."
On this day, Samsung set up their starting lineup with Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Kim Heon-gon (left fielder), Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Cha Seung-jun (third baseman), Ham Soo-ho (right fielder), and Shim Jae-hoon (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Lee Seung-hyun. Koo Ja-wook, who had suffered a knee injury in last year's playoffs, is making his return to the practice game for the first time.
Park Jin-man said, "Last year, when Koo Ja-wook got injured, many people deeply felt how much the team's performance depended on whether he could play a central role. He is making his first appearance in the game today, and there are high expectations, but I hope he doesn't get hurt. It's time to raise his game sense now. Since there isn't much time left for games in Okinawa, I think he will only play as a designated hitter. When returning to Korea, whether he plays defensively will depend on the weather and his physical condition."
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