Tigers’ 28-year-old specialist shortstop returns…KIA batting lineup without Choi Hyung-woo and Na Sung-beom ‘Future home run king also returns’

The Kia lineup has inevitably changed. It’s not the lineup you’re used to.

On the 26th, against Changwon NC, the KIA lineup consisted of Lee Chang-jin (right fielder), Ko Jong-wook (designated hitter), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Socrates Brito (center fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Lee Woo-sung (left fielder), Byun Woo-hyuk (first baseman), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Chan-ho (shortstop).

The KIA batting lineup lost four starters in quick succession – Park Chan-ho (left fourth finger ligament), Choi Won-jun (Hangzhou Asian Games), Na Sung-beom (left hamstring) and Choi Hyung-woo (collarbone) – between the 12th game against Samsung Electronics in Daegu and the 24th game against KT in Gwangju. Choi Won-jun will return after the Asian Games final on March 7, but Na Sung-beom and Choi Hyung-woo are out for the season. 무지개토토

In the best of all possible worlds, Park Chan-ho (28) is back in the starting lineup and will play normally from this day forward. Park has been taking batting practice since last week. Coincidentally, the team is 1-9 in its last 10 games without him. Park is batting ninth in the order.

Meanwhile, Kim Seok-hwan was called up to replace Hwang Dae-in. In 79 games in the Futures League this season, Kim is batting .307 with 267 hits, 82 doubles, 18 home runs, 73 RBI, 48 runs scored, a .413 slugging percentage, a .573 on-base percentage, and a .986 OPS. He ranks first in the Futures League in home runs, first in RBI, third in on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, eighth in on-base percentage, and tied for ninth in runs scored.

Coach Kim Jong Kook said, “Chan Ho had a checkup yesterday and is doing well. His symptoms have improved. He said he’s fine, but we’ll have to wait and see. He has been taking batting practice since last week.” He continued, “I think Socrates will have to do some work in the center field. Jong-wook, Chang-jin, and Woo-sung should do it in the outfield. I told them to prepare for a situation where they have to hit, because I don’t think there will be many home runs, and I don’t think there will be many consecutive hits. I think we need to use players with good baserunning.”