Yasiel Puig (35) of the Korea Professional Baseball Kiwoom Heroes will miss his sixth consecutive game.
Manager Hong Won-ki said in an interview before the exhibition game against the Lotte Giants in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 17th, "Puig has participated in training today. However, there are still some unstable aspects, so we plan to give him rest until today."
Kiwoom has set its starting lineup for the day as Jeon Tae-hyun (designated hitter) - Ruben Cardenas (right fielder) - Lee Ju-hyung (center fielder) - Song Seong-moon (second baseman) - Choi Joo-hwan (first baseman) - Yeo Dong-wook (third baseman) - Park Joo-hong (left fielder) - Kim Keon-hee (catcher) - Kim Tae-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Kim Yoon-ha. Foreign hitter Puig has not played in six consecutive games since missing the game against KT on the 11th due to a back muscle strain. It is not a serious injury, but it is explained that it is unnecessary to take the risk of a bigger injury in the exhibition games.
Manager Hong Won-ki explained, "Puig has started light training, but I believe it is not necessary for him to overexert himself. He knows his body best. I told him to prepare to be at 100% for the opening game. Since he trained today, if he feels okay, he might play at least one at-bat tomorrow, or if he still feels uneasy, he can wait until the opening game." He continued, "He says he feels some discomfort when he moves. According to the hospital's examination results, there is nothing wrong."
Emphasizing that "Puig’s condition has improved," Manager Hong Won-ki noted, "The training staff says his muscle mass has increased. I believe he knows best how to take care of his body," expressing expectations for Puig’s performance. Puig is currently recording a batting average of .400 (2 hits in 5 at-bats) with 2 runs and an OPS of 1.025 in three exhibition games.
Kim Yoon-ha, who will start on that day, has been appointed as the third starter for this season. In the exhibition game, he pitched on the 11th against KT, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 1 over 4 innings, achieving the win. Manager Hong Won-ki stated, "I haven’t specifically set a pitch count. He is expected to pitch 5 innings. However, if the pitch count increases, we may have to take him out. I think the pitch count will be around 70 pitches."
Kiwoom, which will use only one foreign pitcher this year, has confirmed its starting rotation, which includes Kenny Rosenberg, Ha Young-min, Kim Yoon-ha, and Jung Hyun-woo, up to the fourth starter. The fifth starter has also been tested with several pitchers and is somewhat confirmed. Manager Hong Won-ki said, "The pitcher who shows the most stable performance in practice and exhibition games will likely take the fifth starter spot," while being somewhat cryptic, adding, "I do have a pitcher in mind already."
The rookie infielder Yeo Dong-wook is likely to be the starting third baseman for the opening game. In the game on the 16th, he showcased a great defensive play, catching a foul ball despite falling into the third base dugout. Manager Hong Won-ki remarked, "Yeo Dong-wook showed selfless defense yesterday, surprising me. But I was even more surprised to see him come out right after he fell into the dugout," with a smile, adding, "It was very risky defense. We are lucky he wasn’t hurt. It was an instinctual play while focusing on the ball. His concentration and judgment on the ball are commendable."
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