Koo Chang-mo’s trip to Hangzhou is in jeopardy as the only left-hander on the roster…who will start against Japan?

The 2023 KBO League game between the Hanwha Eagles and the KIA Tigers was held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Nov. 21. With runners on first and third in the bottom of the second inning, KIA’s Lee Yi-ri walks off the mound. Daejeon=Jae-man Park

The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) Performance Enhancement Committee and the KBO Power Enhancement Committee announced on Nov. 21 that they have decided to replace two of the 24 members of the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team who are injured or recovering from injuries, but are deemed to be unable to perform normally during the tournament. Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom) and left-handed pitcher Koo Chang-mo (NC) were dropped, while outfielder Kim Sung-yoon (Samsung) and left-handed pitcher Kim Young-gyu (NC) were added.

Kim Sung-yoon returned to full health after recovering from an injury, but was ultimately dropped from the roster.

On June 2, Koo Chang-mo threw five pitches against the LG Twins before being sent home. He experienced pain in his left arm and was diagnosed with a micro-injury to his flexor pollicis longus muscle. He was later diagnosed with a fatigue fracture of the ulna in his left arm.

Despite being sidelined, he was named to the final roster for the Asian Games, which begin on June 23.

After rehabbing, Koo made his first appearance in a Futures League game against the KT Wiz at the Iksan Baseball Stadium on April 19, throwing 27 pitches in two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. His fastball sat between 138 and 145 mph.
The first official game in 109 days. Great interest was gathered.

The 2023 KBO League match between the Hanwha Eagles and the KIA Tigers was held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Nov. 21. Lee Yi-ri of the KIA Tigers is fighting back. Daejeon=Jae-man Park

KBO Commissioner Cho Kye-hyun traveled to the site to closely observe Koo Chang-mo’s pitching. Last weekend’s game in Masan was canceled due to rain, so he only pitched in the bullpen, but even then, he observed the bullpen with national team manager Ryu Jung-il. At the time, Koo was throwing a fastball between 138 and 140 kilometers. On the same day, he upped it to 145 kilometers, indicating that he was recovering.

However, the Strength and Conditioning Committee determined that his dynamic arm swing was not yet 100% back to its best. With just over 10 days left to recover, the committee felt that he was not ready. The final decision was made.

Koo Chang-mo and the NC team were desperate to show a “healthy + strong” recovery. They rushed him to the first team on the 20th and planned to pitch in the bullpen on the 21st. The idea was to remove any anxiety by confirming his health, but it was all for naught as he was dropped from the roster.

NC Kim Young-kyu was named in place of Koo Chang-mo.

A left-handed bullpen pitcher took the place of a left-handed starter. SSG, KT, Doosan, Hanwha, and Lotte didn’t have enough starting pitchers to fill the three roster spots. In 59 games this season, Kim went 2-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 21 appearances.

Samsung’s Kim Sung-yoon celebrates after hitting a single during the first inning of the baseball game between KIA and Samsung at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Wednesday. Daegu = Heo Sang-wook

Meanwhile, Lee Jung-hoo’s replacement has been named as Samsung’s Kim Sung-yoon.

Lee went under the knife in July with a left ankle injury.

Kim, Kim Hyun-joon (Samsung) and Yoon Dong-hee (Lotte) were narrowed down to three finalists before Kim, a specialized corner outfielder, was selected. He can play all outfield positions and has quick feet, making him highly versatile. In 96 games this season, Kim batted 3-for-4 with two home runs, 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. 카지노사이트

“In addition to the replacement of the two players, if it is determined that the performance of other representative players has decreased due to injuries, we will closely examine their physical condition and make additional replacements,” the KBO Power Enhancement Committee explained.

The 2023 KBO League game between the Hanwha Eagles and the KIA Tigers was held at the Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on April 21. KIA coach Seo Jae-heng encourages Lee Yi-ri on the mound. Daejeon=Park Jae-man

Koo Chang-mo’s fall has jeopardized the national team’s only left-handed starter, Lee Yi-ri.

Lee took the mound against Hanwha in Daejeon on Sunday, the final rehearsal for the national team, and failed to protect a three-run lead, giving up five runs (four earned) on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings to suffer his seventh loss of the season (10 wins). The team fell to 8-14.

The KBO’s Power Enhancement Committee is keeping a close eye on his finger. Ryu Jung-il, the national team manager, and Cho Kye-hyun, the chairman of the power enhancement committee, looked on anxiously. Traditionally, left-handed batters have been selected for the Korea-Japan game due to their sophistication. However, following the withdrawal of Koo Chang-mo, the question of who will take charge against Japan has become an important topic.

Meanwhile, the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team will begin their first training session at the Gocheok SkyDome on the 23rd and will depart for Hangzhou on the 28th.

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