As the core bullpen Choi Jun-yong eventually got on the operating table and was confirmed to be out of the season, Lotte Giants’ must-win line KCK (former Seung-min, Choi Jun-yong and Kim Won-joong) will not be seen in the second half of this season. Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong, who are about to qualify as free agents, are also not able to regain their previous form, which is expected to make a “new round” in the rest of the season. Amid this situation, attention is focusing on whether Song Jae-young, who made a “surprise” save, will be appointed under manager Kim Tae-hyung.토토사이트
Choi Junyong (left) and Song Jaeyoung
Lotte said on the 5th, “Choi Jun-yong will undergo right shoulder joint surgery at an orthopedic clinic in Seoul on the 6th,” adding, “The rehabilitation period will take four months.” With this, Choi Jun-yong, who played as Lotte’s must-win group, has been out for the season. According to Lotte, Choi Jun-yong has been suffering from constant shoulder pain for many years since joining the team in 2020. He has been receiving treatment with both injection and physical therapy, but it has not been very effective. A Lotte official explained, “We can play in the game due to his current physical condition, but from a long-term perspective, we decided that surgical treatment is needed for the future of the player.”
As a result, the complete body of the must-win line KCK, which has been responsible for Lotte’s back door, will not be found in the rest of this season. Choi Jun-yong, who joined Lotte as the first draft pick in 2020 after going through Suyeong Elementary School and Daecheon Middle School, is the youngest right-hander to record 20 holds by using his overwhelming fastball pitching. He showed potential by posting eight holds in his first year as a professional player, and in his second year, he played a strong role with 4 wins, 2 losses and 20 holds, and began to play a must-win group with Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong. Choi then posted 3 wins, 4 losses, 14 saves and 6 holds in 2022, and 2 wins, 3 losses and 14 holds in 2023.
Ahead of this season, Choi has been agonizing over whether to become a batter due to shoulder pain since joining the team. However, Choi eventually decided to focus on pitching and continued his upward trajectory by posting an ERA of 1.59 with one loss and one hold in five games in March this year.
However, his performance began to deteriorate sharply in May. Choi, who had a recharging session once in the second division, ended the season with a 5.40 ERA with one win, two losses and three holds in 27 games while on the operating table.
Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong, who played in the must-win group with Choi Joon-yong, are also anxious this season, and Lotte’s bullpen situation is not good because even Choi Lee-joon, who was playing multi-inning, suffered a shoulder injury. Amid this situation, attention is being paid to Song Jae-young, the “difficulty hero” who reported his first save this year as a professional debut.
Song Jae-young, who joined Lotte as the 31st overall pick in the second round of the fourth round in 2021, showed his presence by striking out the two batters in a row in the 11th inning of extra time when the team was facing a 10-10 tie on the 31st of last month. He then took the mound in the ninth inning with one out and runners on the first and second bases with a 4-2 lead on the 1st, and secured saves by striking out both batters again this time. At the time, manager Kim praised Song Jae-young, saying, “I’m not fast on the ball, but I think the rotation of the ball is good. He did a great job.”