Doosan Bears right-hander Young-gun Kim has been removed from the active roster.
Doosan returned home on a high note after sweeping a midweek three-game series against the Kium Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 22-24. Foreign pitchers Raul Alcantara and Brandon Waddell pitched well to secure the sweep, and the bullpen and a five-RBI performance from foreign hitter Jose Rojas clinched the series in the final game.
However, Doosan was disappointed with the performance of starter Kim Dong-ju on the 24th, who gave up four runs on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 1⅔ innings before giving way to Choi Won-jun, who was sent down to the second team ahead of the 25th game against the SSG Landers in Jamsil.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “I think we need to reorganize. As a starting pitcher, I need to show pitches that can give the batters and the bench a sense of security, and I need to win the game quickly, but I think I’m struggling as I’m facing more balls. I was struggling in the bottom of the first inning, so it was a little hard to play after getting hit once.”
In fact, at the beginning of the season, Kim was in such good shape that he was being talked about as a Rookie of the Year candidate. In April, he went 1-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings pitched in four games, and in May, he went 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA in 18⅔ innings pitched in four games. However, his ups and downs were always a problem, and after June, his pitches kept faltering, and he often failed to complete five innings.
Coach Lee said, “I actually showed too much promise at the beginning of the season, but as it’s my first full-time season, there will be a lot of twists and turns and failures along the way. But I think we need to learn from these failures, and I think we need to reorganize to come back (to the first team). My speed dropped a lot in the previous game, and I think there were some things that were not good enough to start in the first team, such as my changeup and fastball,” said Kim.
Lee continued, “I hope he can prepare better with the idea of going down to the second team and starting from scratch. There is always a chance, so I don’t want him to think too quickly. I hope it’s just growing pains.” “He’s 21 years old, so he has a lot of work to do. I have a good physical condition and a good feel for throwing the ball, so I have to win the battle with myself before I can win the battle with my opponent. I think he needs to be able to reflect on himself while controlling his mind.” He sent a message of support to Kim Dong-joo.
Kim will be replaced by left-hander Lee Won-jae in the starting lineup for the 31st game against the LG Twins. Selected by Doosan with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 KBO Draft, Lee has been solid in the Futures League of late, going 3-1 with a 0.73 ERA in 24⅔ innings over the last seven games (three starts).
“He did a good job in the second team. If you have a good player, you have to use him, and there’s another spot open.” “I think it depends on your pitching whether it’s a one-time thing or you get another chance. Even though I’m playing against a good team, if I win by showing my pitching without being intimidated, it will be great, and even if I lose, I hope that I can play against them and win some games.”
In addition to Kim Dong-joo, Doosan also removed catcher Park Yoo-yeon from the roster and called up pitcher Kim Yoo-seong and catcher Ahn Seung-han to the first team.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “I registered Kim Yoo-seong because there is a gap in the middle. He had a family matter (father’s death), but I heard he was in good shape until then.” “(As for Park Yoo-yeon), I think she strained her knee when her blocking went a little deep the day before. I don’t think she can recover in one day, it will take a few days. It’s unfortunate that she’s not in the lineup because she did her job well.”안전놀이터
Against Kim Kwang-hyun, Doosan lined up in the following order: Kim Tae-geun (right fielder), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Jose Rojas (left fielder), Yang Ji (designated hitter), Yang Seok-hwan (first baseman), Kang Seung-ho (second baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Ahn Seung-han (catcher), and Cho Su-hyun (center fielder). Kwak Bin was the starting pitcher.