"I will use him in the climax."

Veteran Kim Hyun-soo of the LG Twins was excluded from the starting lineup for the match against Hanwha Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin.

LG will face Hanwha in the first match of the season on the 25th at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. Against Hanwha's starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, LG will field Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Song Chan-eui (left fielder), Austin (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Jung-bin (designated hitter), and Park Hae-min (center fielder) and Koo Bon-hyuk (second baseman) in the starting lineup.

Veteran Kim Hyun-soo has been removed from the starting lineup. He went 3 for 7 against Ryu Hyun-jin last year, which was not bad. Last year, in 13 games against Hanwha, his batting average was .370 (17 hits in 46 at-bats) with 6 runs batted in, which was good. However, in the opening series, he only managed 1 hit in 8 at-bats. With Kim Hyun-soo out, Moon Jung-bin, who recorded his first hit with a home run as a pinch hitter against Lotte on the 23rd, has earned his first starting opportunity.

It has various implications. The regulars Austin and Park Dong-won, along with backups Song Chan-eui and Moon Jung-bin, against left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, will have 5 right-handed batters positioned.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop explained, "Hyun-soo will be in the climax. It will be him and (Moon) Seong-joo. I am planning to separate the regular players in the future to create pinch hitters, so that the starters can play a crucial role in the later stages during pivotal moments."

"Now, younger players will be given some opportunities, and it will increase the odds of them performing well when they play. If they go in when they are not doing well, the probability is lower than that of the regulars. Jung-bin had a good experience, and while he hit a home run the other day, if he stays on the bench, that momentum will cool off. He should go in while he is still hot," he noted.

Moon Jung-bin came in as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning against Lotte on the 23rd and recorded his first hit with a pinch hit home run. He received his first starting chance that day. Moon Jung-bin was discharged from the military last May, and during his time in the Futures League, he played 28 games, with a batting average of .489 (46 hits in 94 at-bats), 6 home runs, 23 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .529, a slugging percentage of .840, and an OPS of 1.369.

Song Chan-eui received the starting opportunity in the opening game and responded in the first two games of the season with 4 hits in 8 at-bats, including 1 home run. Moon Seong-joo, who is recovering from a minor back injury, is not expected to play defense for about a week, so Song Chan-eui will continue to have opportunities as the left fielder.

In the later innings, the fast bullpen pitchers of Hanwha were also considered. Manager Yeom said, "In many ways, the most important thing is how to strategize to increase the probability of winning." Hanwha's bullpen includes right-handed fireballers Kim Seo-hyun, Han Seung-hyuk, and Park Sang-won, who throw fastballs above 150 km.

Manager Yeom positively evaluated relief pitcher Baek Seung-hyun, who was replaced without recording an out in his first appearance after creating a bases-loaded situation. Baek Seung-hyun entered the game in the 8th inning against Lotte on the 23rd while leading 5-0 and created a bases-loaded situation with 2 hits and 1 walk before being replaced. Kim Jin-seong went up in a hurry, allowing only 1 run and effectively stopping the crisis.

Manager Yeom said, "Although Seung-hyun created a crisis, I see it very positively. His average velocity reached 150 km. It was the first game, so there probably was some tension and other factors affecting his control. However, he's not a pitcher who misses his target completely, so I believe Seung-hyun’s ability to throw over 150 km yesterday shows he has a high chance of becoming a significant asset to the team this season."

"If Seung-hyun and (Park) Myung-geun improve early on, I think we can manage until Yu Yong-chan and Lee Jeong-yong arrive in June. Our secondary goal is to send Woo Gang-hoon and Kim Yong-woo into situations where they can grow comfortably," he explained.

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