This is the second injury in a month. In just three games, cracks have appeared in the starting infield. A setback has hit the Lotte Giants, who have struggled to light up the offense since the season's start. However, this could be an opportunity for someone.
Before their game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 26th, Lotte reported news of an injury to starting second baseman Ko Seung-min's oblique muscle. The club stated, "Today (26th) in the morning, he was diagnosed with a right side (oblique muscle) strain at Cheongdam Lion Orthopedics. It is not a serious injury, and after a week of rest and treatment, he is scheduled to begin technical training next week," adding that the injury is at a grade before the diagnosis stage. This means it is not serious enough to be worried about.
Ko Seung-min suffered an ankle injury in early this month during a spring camp practice game. He could not return home with the main camp and moved to Japan's Ijimachiryo-in for additional rehabilitation before returning home. There were no issues with participating in the opening game. However, he suffered another injury just three games into the season. In just a month, he has sustained injuries to both his ankle and oblique muscle, causing him to drop out. This is regrettable both for the team and personally. Although Ko Seung-min recorded only 1 hit in 11 at-bats over the three games since the opening, he is still a player with the title of starting second baseman. A change in the starting lineup indicates variability. It is certainly a bad sign that this variability occurred just three games into the season and cracks appeared in the starting infield. Memories of struggles due to injuries last year are inevitably revived.
However, unlike last year, there is a depth this time. The competition for backup positions in the first-team infield was fiercer during this year’s camp. This can be interpreted as meaning the depth has improved. Last year, even head coach Kim Tae-hyung remarked, "The calculations didn't add up," pointing to a lack of player depth. Although the team addressed its infield concerns by acquiring Son Ho-young through trade, they have now reached a level where the solution can come from within.
Jeon Min-jae and Han Tae-yang can step in as starters immediately, and they can also call up players with good hitting from the second team. One such player is veteran infielder Kim Min-sung (37). Kim Min-sung did not receive much playing time in the first team last year. He played 35 games in the first team last year, posting a batting average of .200 (14 hits in 70 at-bats), with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs, ending the season on June 12. After the infield's rebuilding setup was established, Kim Min-sung was completely pushed out. This year, he was excluded from the first-team spring camp and trained in the second team, and he also did not make it to the first team during exhibition games. He has spent all his time in the second team. Currently, he is showing a hot hitting performance in the second team, appearing in all 7 games with a batting average of .474 (9 hits in 19 at-bats), 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.547.
Currently, the reliability of the second team's statistics is difficult to establish due to the extreme disparity in hitting performance, but Kim Min-sung is consistently producing hits and maintaining his batting form. He recorded a home run while pinch-hitting in the game against NC on the 19th and performed well in the match against Sangmu on the 22nd with 3 hits in 4 at-bats (1 home run), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. In the game against KIA on the 26th, he recorded 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 RBI, and 1 walk.
He has primarily played as a third baseman when starting in the second team. However, in the game against KIA on the 26th, he was a starting second baseman. After news of Ko Seung-min's injury, they may have wanted to assess Kim Min-sung's defensive skills at second base. Kim Min-sung signed a maximum 900 million won FA contract for 2+1 years last year and joined the Lotte uniform through a sign-and-trade. The strength that Lotte evaluated in Kim Min-sung was his ability to play multiple positions in the infield. He demonstrated his versatility by playing over 100 innings at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop when LG won the unified championship in 2023. The time for Kim Min-sung to regain prominence is upon him. With Ko Seung-min out due to injury and both third baseman Son Ho-young and shortstop Park Seung-wook struggling to find their hitting form, Kim Tae-hyung could judge that a change in the infield is necessary in a situation where Jeon Min-jae is showcasing versatility across all infield positions.
Will Kim Min-sung have another opportunity to step on the field in the first team? The atmosphere has been set.
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