Will manager Kim Won-hyung finally draw the sword?
Professional baseball team Doosan Bears are preparing for their fifth meeting of the season against the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League on the 3rd at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome.
Doosan set the starting lineup against Kiwoom starter Park Jun-hyun as Park Chan-ho (shortstop) Daz Cameron (right field) Park Jun-soon (second base) Yang Eui-ji (designated hitter) An Jae-seok (third base) Kim Min-seok (left field) Jung Soo-bin (center field) Kim Ki-yeon (catcher) Oh Myung-jin (first base) in that order. The starting pitcher is Kwak Bin. There are no changes to the first-team roster.
First baseman Yang Seok-hwan, who went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts the day before, was again left out of the starting lineup two days after being excluded on the 1st. Yang is suffering through severe slumps with a .205 batting average, 1 home run, 6 RBIs, 5 runs and an OPS of .533 in 27 games this season. He ranks 52nd in hitting (out of 57 total) and, among batters who have met the required plate appearances, is the only one with a bases-loaded batting average of .000 (0 for 17). As a result, Oh Myung-jin again got the opportunity to play first base.
When reporters asked Manager Kim Won-hyung about Yang Seok-hwan being left out of the starting lineup again, he gave a wry smile and said, "He started yesterday," and sighed, "I am conflicted. There is a certain benchmark for regulars, but actually Yang is not a hitter who needs a high batting average. He has come up to nearly 100 plate appearances, but the extra-base hits we expect from him are not coming."
When asked whether he was considering sending Yang Seok-hwan to the second team, he took a cautious stance, saying, "We have to consider that. Since the extra-base hits are not coming, I need to discuss with the coaches about whether to remove him from the roster in the future."
Last year Yang spent 82 days in the second team and, entering the third year of his 7.8 billion won free agent contract, vowed to redouble his efforts. With Kim Won-hyung's appointment as manager, he was again chosen as the starting first baseman and worked harder than anyone in the Australian Sydney and Japanese Miyazaki spring camps. He raised expectations by hitting .301 with 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 4 runs and an OPS of .958 in 10 preseason games. That is why his early slump is all the more regrettable.
Kim Won-hyung said, "Seok-hwan really worked hard preparing in the offseason," and added, "There will be several causes for his slump. There may be psychological factors too... But I don't know. If I knew, I would have told the player already," sounding perplexed.
For now, Yang Seok-hwan, who avoided being removed from the first team, will look for a pinch-hitting opportunity from the bench on the 3rd. It remains to be seen whether being left out of the starting lineup on the 1st and 3rd will serve as a turning point.
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