“I’ll give him an equal chance.”
The LG Twins’ starting mound will be more competitive when Sang-young Lee, 23, returns from the Armed Forces Athletic Corps. Lee will be discharged from the military on April 12.
Currently, only three spots in the LG starting rotation are set in stone: Casey Kelly, Adam Plutko, and Chan-gyu Lim. The younger Korean starters have yet to impress in the fourth and fifth spots. Kim Yun-sik, Lee Min-ho, and Kang Hyo-jong have made up the rotation, but have failed to secure spots due to poor performance or injury.
Rather, long reliever Lim Chan-kyu, who opened the season with a six-inning no-hitter against SSG Landers on March 23, was recognized by LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop as “the No. 1 domestic starter (No. 3 overall).”
With a strong batting lineup and solid bullpen, finding a fourth or fifth starter will be a major task for LG.
The hope is that Lee Sang-young, who was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 second round, will return. “We’ll give him the same chance as Lee Min-ho and Kim Yun-sik,” LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, adding, “With the current atmosphere, there is a high probability that (Lee) will be the fourth starter for a month (after joining the team).”
The left-hander has pitched well in the Futures (2nd) League this year with eight wins (1st) and a 2.33 ERA (3rd) in eight games. Last year, he was tied for first in the Nambu League in wins (10) and second in ERA (3.31). He also has nine first-team starts (4.91 ERA). He doesn’t need much time to make his first-team debut, as he’s been playing in practice. Coach Yeom praised him, saying, “I watched him play on TV, and he had a lot of charm.”
If Lee joins the starting lineup, Kim Yun-sik and Lee Min-ho, who started in the third and fourth spots, will have to compete with Kang Hyo-jong, Lee Ji-gang, and Son Ju-young for a spot. “I hope (Kim) Yun-sik and (Lee) Min-ho can establish themselves, but they’ve opened the way (for their teammates). I gave them a chance, and they will compete (again) from now on,” he summarized.스포츠토토
On April 4 against the NC Dinos, the team will have Lee Ji-gang, who has fond memories of their previous encounters. Lee Min-ho, who was substituted after giving up one run in three and a third innings against Lotte on the 30th, his first appearance in 55 days, will be given another chance to start ten days later.
Manager Yoon Kyung-yup said, “I will use good players who have performed in the competition one after another. Among the candidates (Lee Sang-young will get the fourth start after his return), the fifth start will go to the player who pitched the best. After that, we plan to use the player who pitched well as a long relief pitcher.”