Ace, FA Third baseman, Shocker Than Injuries Who Will Replace ERA 0.89 Must-Win Group

May 27, 2025

Ace, FA Third baseman, Shocker Than Injuries Who Will Replace ERA 0.89 Must-Win Group
KIA-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 21st. Son Dong-hyun, who took the mound in the top of the eighth inning, is preparing to pitch. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.5.21/



There's no alternative...

KT Wiz hit a rock. When you play a professional baseball season, you get injured all the time, but this player's departure is so painful.

KT suddenly removed pitcher Son Dong-hyun from the first-team entry on the 26th when there was no game. There was a reason. Injured. Son Dong-hyun was found to have ruptured right shoulder versus distal muscle as a result of the examination. It is a re-examination in three weeks, and even if there is no problem at that time, it is an injury that requires a month off. That is also under the premise that the injury will be fully recovered at that time.




KT is so painful. He has been holding up well with three consecutive wins, 26 wins, 3 draws, 24 losses, and 4th place. However, there are only two games away from the eighth-ranked KIA Tigers. In other words, if you shake a little, you can fall to the bottom in an instant. In addition, the gap with the top teams is bound to widen. The gap with the third-place Lotte Giants is 3.5 games, so it is still within range.

KT's starter Heyesus was on the injured list twice due to an adductor injury. Major players such as Kang Baek-ho, Heo Kyung-min, Kim Sang-soo, and Moon Sang-chul also left due to large and small injuries. Of course, injuries to key players are always painful, but they could be replaced by anyone. It was also a blessing in disguise that Hwang Jae-kyun returned to his original position, third base, to show tremendous performance due to Huh Kyung-min's injury.

Ace, FA Third baseman, Shocker Than Injuries Who Will Replace ERA 0.89 Must-Win Group
KT-KIA match held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 17th. Son Dong-hyun pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.4.17/
But it's a problem because Son Dong-hyun can't be replaced. Of course, there are right-handed bullpen resources such as Kim Min-soo and Lee Sang-dong. However, Son Dong-hyun cannot give pressure to his opponent.




Son Dong-hyun is a key winning team that comes out at the most important moment before going to Park Young-hyun, the closing pitcher. He pitched 30 ⅓ innings in 29 games this season, recording 3 wins and 10 holds with an ERA of 0.89. You can see its value just by looking at the ERA. From the match against the Samsung Lions on the 14th to the match against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 23rd, he recorded six consecutive holds, showing signs of collapse.

Among KT bullpens, there are no alternative resources that can be pressed with ball power like Son Dong-hyun in a crisis situation. Son Dong-hyun showed off his stronger performance by sharpening his powerful fastball and forkball this year.

Another problem is the poor composition of KT's must-win group. Coach Lee Kang-chul is not the type to use players evenly, but the style of leading the season with a few players with good pitching and condition. This year, it is not an exaggeration to say that Won Sang-hyun and Son Dong-hyun played the most important role in the game's must-win group ahead of Park Young-hyun.




Ace, FA Third baseman, Shocker Than Injuries Who Will Replace ERA 0.89 Must-Win Group
The NC-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 9th. In the top of the fifth inning, Son Dong-hyun admires second baseman Kim Sang-soo's good defense. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.4.9/
Won Sang-hyun is said to go up to the eighth inning and the rest of the pitchers can block the previous innings, but Won Sang-hyun may also throw in the seventh and eighth innings as he is still in his second year as a rookie. His ball power has improved a lot, but he lacks experience and still has ups and downs. In addition, even if Won Sang-hyun blocks the eighth inning, it is inevitable that the weight of the players who will be responsible for the 6th to 7th innings is lower than these two.

How will Son Dong-hyun's departure affect KT's move. What KT should pray for is that there will be a substitute who suddenly shows 'crazy performance' like Hwang Jae-gyun. However, Hwang Jae-gyun was originally a good baseball player, and the bullpen is different.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.