Should you bring back your favorite pitcher?
KIA Tigers foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez (29)메이저사이트 has been sidelined with an elbow injury. He was reexamined by two orthopedic clinics in Seoul, Kim Jin-seop Orthopedics and Sejong Sports Orthopedics, and was diagnosed with a partial injury to the medial collateral ligament of the right elbow and symptoms of impingement syndrome.
The rehabilitation period is three days. The condition does not require surgery. He will be rehabbing with injections. After three weeks of treatment, he will start pitching out of the bullpen. He will be out for about four weeks, including bullpen pitches. That means he could be back in action the last week of September.
There is no additional schedule for September yet. KIA has the most games left (40) among the 10 teams. They play 24 games in four weeks. That’s more than half the games they’ll play without one of their starting pitchers, although there could be rainouts. That’s a lot of starting depth in the fall ticket race.
[OSEN=Gwangju, Kim Sung-rak] On the afternoon of the 25th, a game between the KIA Tigers and the Hanwha Eagles of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League was played at the KIA Champions Field in Gwangju.In the top of the 5th inning, KIA’s Sanchez laments after committing a balk during the first base check. 2023.08.25 / ksl0919@osen.co.kr
Right now, there are two holes in the starting rotation this week. Kim Gun-gook was used as a replacement starter for the Gwangju game against the NC Dinos on Aug. 29. Sanchez is scheduled to pitch against the Gwangju NC on the 31st. Therefore, a backup starter is needed on that day. Lee, who was sidelined with shoulder pain, can return on September 2.
Hopefully, Sanchez will recover quickly, but we’ll have to wait and see. After all, it’s not easy to fill the void of a starter who can go up to seven innings. You need to find a new alternative. Hwang Dong-ha and Kim Jae-yeol have been getting consistent starts for the Future Team, and Hwang Dong-ha has even done a decent job as a substitute in the first team. Along with Kim, left-handers Kim Yoo-shin and Kim Ki-hoon are also candidates.
However, the team lacks a clear-cut starter, so it’s possible that Lim Ki-young, who has been a stalwart in the bullpen, could return to the starting lineup. He was a starter until last year and competed for the job in spring training and exhibition games this year. He gave way to Yoon Young-chul and served as a pillar of the bullpen.
[OSEN=Gwangju, Kim Sung-rak] The KIA Tigers extended their winning streak to four games with a sweep. KIA showed strong cohesion with Kim Sun-bin’s tying hit and Choi Hyung-woo’s game-winning hit to win 5-2 against the Hanwha Eagles in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Aug. 27. KIA manager Kim Jong-guk and Lim Ki-young high-five after the game. 2023.08.27/ ksl0919@osen.co.kr
In 48 games, he pitched 66⅔ innings, compiling a 4-2 record, three saves, 11 holds, and a 2.70 ERA. Served as the bullpen’s go-to guy from long man to closer, leading the team to a fifth-place finish. There is some concern that he is throwing too many pitches in the bullpen. If he were to return to the starting rotation, it wouldn’t be a problem as he could pitch every five days.
He has a lot of experience as a starter, so he should be able to get through five innings. However, he has struggled a bit when the batting order has gone around the bases. Moreover, the bullpen will be weaker without Lim Ki-young. Jang Hyun-sik, Jeon Sang-hyun, Jeong Jung-young, and the left-handed duo of Choi Ji-min and Choi Joon-young will need to step up to the plate. With their homework done, it will be interesting to see how KIA will utilize their starting lineup.