Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yup has fallen into a happy dilemma.

Doosan has confirmed its four starting pitchers for this season, including Cole Irvin, Jack Logg, Kwak Bin, and Choi Seung-yong. For the remaining spot, Choi Won-jun, Choi Jun-ho, and Kim Yu-sung are competing. They have showcased stable pitching in the exhibition games.

On the 8th, in the opening exhibition game against Hanwha Eagles, Choi Jun-ho, who came on as the second pitcher following starter Choi Seung-yong, pitched well, recording 4 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.

Another candidate, Choi Won-jun, and Kim Yu-sung also started their first appearances in the exhibition games positively. Choi Won-jun, who was the starter against Hanwha on the 9th, pitched well with 4 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. Kim Yu-sung, who took the mound as the third pitcher in the 6th inning, finished strong with 4 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and no earned runs.

Before the exhibition game against Samsung Lions, which will be held on the 10th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, manager Lee Seung-yup met with reporters and noted, “All five starting candidates are pitching well. It seems we need to decide after the next appearance.” He added, “All of them are in great condition, which makes this a dilemma. I will observe how to utilize the player who does not make it in the competition for the fifth spot.”

Doosan finished all two games against Hanwha with victories. Manager Lee Seung-yup said, “This is the result of the players working hard in preparation. I do not know how the opening roster will be finalized, but I see many positive factors.”

Regarding Kim Jae-hwan, he stated, “Looking back on last season, we concluded that Kim Jae-hwan is most suitable as the No. 2 hitter. We will have to see if Kim Jae-hwan continues to bat second or if that changes, but for now, having him in the No. 2 spot seems ideal.”

Manager Lee Seung-yup expressed consistent faith regarding foreign pitcher Cole Irvin, who will make his first appearance in the exhibition games, saying, “He is not at 100% condition yet. His command is a bit shaky, but I am not worried because he is preparing well.”

Meanwhile, Doosan has arranged its batting order with Kim Min-seok in left field, Kim Jae-hwan as designated hitter, Yang Seok-hwan at first base, Jake Cave in right field, Oh Myung-jin at second base, Park Jun-young at shortstop, Lee Yoo-chan at third base, Ryu Hyun-jun as catcher, and Jo Su-hyung in center field.

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