SSG Landers, attempting a three-game winning streak, faced bad news.
SSG will play a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 1st. It is the fourth meeting of the season.
SSG announced changes to its first-team roster before the game. Left-hander Baek Seung-gun and outfielder Kim Jeong-min were added, and foreign pitcher Mitch White and outfielder Kim Seong-wook were removed.
White is leaving due to injury. An SSG official said, "As a result of a detailed examination of pitcher White, there is a minor tear of the right shoulder rotator cuff (Grade 1). A return schedule will be established after a reexamination in about three weeks."
Kim Seong-wook was also injured. The club said, "Kim Seong-wook is being removed from the roster due to a minor tear (grade 1) in the left adductor (groin). He will undergo about two weeks of recovery."
That day SSG set its lineup in the following order: Park Seong-han (shortstop), Choi Ji-hoon (center field), Choi Jeong (designated hitter), Eredia (left field), Han Yoo-seom (right field), Oh Tae-gon (first base), Jo Hyeong-woo (catcher), Jeong Jun-jae (second base), An Sang-hyun (third base). The starting pitcher is Takeda Shota.
Takeda, a pitcher from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), finally earned his first win on the 25th of last month with a five-inning scoreless outing against the KT Wiz. After a three-game losing streak that began in last month's Kiwoom Heroes game and a demotion to the second team, Takeda found an opportunity to bounce back.
Meanwhile, Lotte, aiming for a two-game winning streak, will start right-hander Park Se-woong on the first day of the weekend three-game set. The burden on Park Se-woong's shoulders is heavy. Park Se-woong himself is also in a pressing situation. He has not recorded a win this season.
Park Se-woong has no wins and four losses with a 3.81 ERA in five games this season. In his most recent start on the 25th of last month against the KIA Tigers, he took the loss after allowing four runs in five innings. More than a month has passed since the season opened. Park Se-woong, who should be an anchor of Lotte's starting rotation, has yet to record a win.
Against SSG, he started on the 5th of last month and allowed three runs in five innings. He avoided the loss but struggled with five walks. Will he show different pitching in this Incheon road game?<
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