After a brief hiatus due to elbow surgery, the star of Lotte’s trade success story is set to return in August. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol 메이저놀이터 is relieved to have Park Si-young on his roster despite the fact that Pil Seung-jo Park Young-hyun will miss the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
Lee spoke to reporters before KT’s game against Suwon Lotte on Nov. 21 and discussed the timing of Park’s return from elbow rehabilitation. “Park is scheduled to return in August if the rehabilitation process goes well,” Lee said, indicating that the championship-winning duo’s return is imminent.
Park, who was drafted by Lotte with the 31st overall pick in the fourth round of the 2008 Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) rookie draft out of Jejeonggopo, failed to fulfill his potential for more than a decade. Eventually, after a disappointing 6-8 record with a 6.18 ERA in 191 games, he was traded to KT in December 2020 for Shin Bong-ki. Even at the time of the trade, more of the spotlight was on Shin than Park.
Park Si-young was reborn as a pitcher under the tutelage of manager Lee Kang-cheol. He made his first appearance in the first team in May 2021, going 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in seven games to get acclimated to the new atmosphere, and then went 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA in eight starts in the second half of the season to help the team win its first regular season title in dramatic fashion. He also made one appearance in the Korean Series, pitching ⅔ scoreless innings to earn his first championship ring. It was a moment when he was no stranger to being labeled a top prospect, a fifth starter, a loser, and a chaser.
Park continued his momentum and was placed in the must-win group last year alongside Joo Kwon and Kim Jae-yoon, but on May 12, he tore ligaments and bones in his right elbow while pitching against KIA and was placed on the operating table. Park’s season ended prematurely with a 2-2 record and a 4.60 ERA in 17 games.
When he returns in August, the Son-Dong-hyun, Park-Young-hyun, and Kim-Jae-yoon pitching depth will be even deeper. Add to that the fact that Park Young-hyun, who has been dubbed the “next Oh Seung-hwan,” is set to compete in the Hangzhou Asian Games from September 23 to October 8, and Park’s return is more welcome than ever. The plan is to give Park Si-young two months to get used to the first-team atmosphere before handing him over to Park Young-hyun in critical situations.
Lee said, “We have two months before (Park) Young-hyun is out. (Park) Si-young is not a replacement for Young-hyun, but he is a pitcher who can do enough for one inning. We had originally planned that if Young-hyun goes, Si-young will come.”
However, it would be difficult to operate the back door with only Son Dong-hyun, Park Si-young, and Kim Jae-yoon in September and October, when the standings 메이저놀이터 주소 battle heats up. In Son’s case, it’s his first full-time season in a must-win group, so he needs to be managed. Eventually, Kim Min-soo and Joo Ju-kwon will need to return from injury and regain their form if KT is to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. Kim Min-soo has an 8.68 ERA in 11 games and three starts this season, while Joo is struggling with a 1-1 record and a 5.60 ERA in 15 games.
“Before Park Si-young comes back, Joo and Kim need to recover,” Lee said. That way, the bullpen will be easier to manage even if Park is out,” Lee emphasized.