Last year, Lotte Giants infielder Son Ho-young, who was called a trade burden, is struggling during the exhibition games.

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung mentioned Son Ho-young, who has been having a hard time in the three exhibition games, ahead of the exhibition game against the LG Twins at Busan Sajik Stadium on the 11th.

Son Ho-young hit a double play to third base in the 3rd inning with one out and runners on first and third in the previous day's (10th) game. In the 6th inning, he made a bad throw to second base on a ground ball from Park Dong-won that could have led to a double play, adding to the errors.

Since hitting a timely single to left field in his first at-bat in the exhibition opener against KIA on the 8th, he is on an 8 at-bat hitless streak. His batting average in the exhibition games is only .111. It is evident that he is showing impatience on both offense and defense. Lotte is conducting special training after the exhibition games at home, and Son Ho-young has consistently been selected as a member of that special training.

Son Ho-young, who joined the team via trade from LG last year, showed impressive performance with a .317 batting average (126 hits in 398 at-bats), 18 home runs, 78 RBIs, and an OPS of .892 over 102 games. He invigorated the team as a trade burden.

However, in his first full-time season wearing a Lotte uniform, he is struggling in the exhibition games. When asked about his impatience by reporters, manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "You observed well," emphasizing, "He needs to maintain his own pace now. If he cannot find his pace, he will struggle. I do not know what he is thinking, but he must find his own pace."

He continued by stressing, "While research is ongoing, you have to come into the batter's box not by just hitting consistently, but by studying before you enter."

Son Ho-young was excluded from the starting lineup that day. Backup players like Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Jeong Hoon (first baseman), Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter), Yoo Kang-nam (catcher), Park Seung-wook (shortstop), Choi Hang (second baseman), Jeon Min-jae (third baseman), and Lee In-hwan (left fielder) mainly participated. The starting pitcher is Na Kyun-an.

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