“KIA must have expected it to some extent.”
On the 3rd, KIA also achieved a sweep against Incheon SSG with the powerful momentum of its batting line. It’s been so hot lately that it’s receiving a lot of attention. However, as it turns out, regardless of whether KIA won or lost that day, it was a very important game because of this player.
Lee Ui-ri, a 21-year-old left-handed fireballer. On August 22, he retired from the Suwon KT game with 4 hits, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 runs in 4 innings. Concerns were raised as the fastball velocity suddenly dropped to 130 km/h from the 3rd inning. It was not his intentional slowness adjustment, but discomfort was detected in his shoulder.
Fortunately, despite the misfortune, no abnormalities were discovered medically. Lee Ui-ri also did not complain of any additional discomfort. He said there was no need to skip the starting rotation at the hospital, but coach Kim Jong-guk chose to cross the stone bridge after knocking on it.
Luckily, the day when Lee Ui-ri’s replacement starting pitcher was supposed to be used was canceled due to rain, and Lee Ui-ri returned from the game on the 3rd. His performance was 3 innings, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 4 runs allowed. The reason Choo Shin-soo gave up a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning was that Choo Shin-soo hit the course well into the border line rather than a missed throw. At the end of the second inning, the changeup he used against Cho Hyeong-woo, who was his battery during his time at Gwangju Jeil High School, went somewhat high.
In addition to the two home runs, there were two hits and three walks, so it wasn’t a bad story. Moreover, it was fortunate that he didn’t feel any pain after pitching in practice. And he showed off his ‘good health’ by raising his velocity back up to 150km. Even after his appearance on the mound, there were no other abnormal signs.
MBC Sports Plus commentator Park Jae-hong, who broadcast this game, predicted that KIA would have planned the game with the intention of withdrawing Lee Ui-ri early on this day. This means that since it was his first appearance since his return, there would have been a limit on the number of pitches.
Since it was a sensitive shoulder issue for pitchers, he had no choice but to be cautious. He is not simply a pitcher who has been around for 1-2 years, but a next-generation native ace who will succeed Yang Hyun-jong. If he gets sick, it’s a loss. This is the reason why he was removed from the first team once in a while along with Yoon Young-cheol in the first half of the year.토토사이트
It starts now. Just as the machine ran without any problems after oiling it before returning, it was confirmed that energy was radiating normally from Lee Ui-ri’s arms and shoulders again, so it is not unreasonable to expect better results from his next appearance.
Moreover, KIA is currently unable to use its fifth starter due to the absence of Mario Sanchez. The existing starting pitchers must return to the role as replacement starters once a week. Right now, there are a total of 7 consecutive games against Doosan and LG this week. Substitute selection must be made twice. We are already planning a volume offensive, but we need to get as many multipliers as possible when the existing 4 starters come out.
Currently, the batting lineup is more than able to offset the Achilles’ heel on the mound, but the batting lineup cannot produce 10 hits and 10 runs throughout 144 games. Ace Thomas Panoni can be calculated to some extent, and we cannot expect much from Yoon Young-cheol. It is good news that Yang Hyun-jong has returned as Yang Hyun-jong. If so, Lee Ui-ri’s remaining season performance is the final variable that can increase the stability of KIA’s performance.
Lee Ui-ri will be called up to the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for the 22nd. KIA, which has the most games remaining among the 10 teams, will continue to play important schedules after October 7th, when the finals will be held. However, realistically, it is unclear whether Lee Ui-ri will be able to return to form after the Asian Games finals and be able to pitch in practice. That’s why the remaining appearances in September are so important for Lee Iri. Here, you have to squeeze out the remaining strength without causing pain. Lee Ui-ri is the biggest variable in KIA’s actions in September.