The fate of the foreigner who was a filial son of 32 wins and 4 years for 3 years + ace will be decided on the 8th...What will manager Kim Tae-hyung decide?

May 07, 2025

Lotte and Hanwha at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 23rd. Lotte starter Barnes allowed five runs in the top of the first inning. Busan = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.04.23/

Before the season, he was the most 'Sangsoo' in the starting lineup. However, when I opened the lid, the shaking was severe and the injury overlapped.

Will the Lotte Giants make a big decision. Barnes, the first starter, will undergo a thorough examination in Seoul with Hwang Sung-bin on the 8th. Perhaps the result is that the fate of Lotte may be divided.

Lotte rose to third place in the league at the beginning of the season. The confidence of native ace Park Se-woong is also outstanding. The overall flow of the lineup is good, but it is not a team led by one powerful player.

In the meantime, the rest of the starters except Davison are anxious. It is different from Hanwha Eagles and KT Wiz, which are full of 1st to 5th starters.

Still, there are pitchers worth trying, such as Kim Jin-wook, Na Kyun-an, Park Jin-min-seok, for the 4th and 5th starters. However, the first starter that a foreign ace should take charge of is irreplaceable..

Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung has been agonizing over this point even before the season.

On top of that, Barnes' slump also overlapped. He has only three wins and four losses in eight games and a 5.32 ERA.

Lotte and Hanwha at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 23rd. Lotte Barnes is pitching as a starter. Busan = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.04.23/

For now, he was removed from the first team due to shoulder pain. The first examination revealed a left subcapsular muscle injury.

Barnes has been a 'calculating' pitcher who plays the rotation healthy without much shaking throughout the season. However, he lost about six weeks due to an injury to his thigh adductor muscle last season, and this is a point where he is concerned about another long-term departure this year.

When asked about Barnes earlier, head coach Kim Tae-hyung said, `First of all, we have to wait and see the results of the diagnosis. I have no choice but to take a rest right now. "I have a lot of worries because the foreign aces of other teams are so good. Every time he came out, he gave only 2-3 points, so he expressed his concern.

Is Lotte's choice a short-term alternative foreign player or a bold replacement. For now, we are considering both options. "As soon as the results of the examination come out on the 8th, we will discuss it in earnest." is in the position.

Lotte-Kium match held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 29th. Starting pitcher Barnes is warming up. Gocheok = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.4.29/

It is not the right timing to consider the deadline for replacing ordinary foreign players. Each club usually judges that the All-Star break from mid-June to July is the right time to replace foreigners. It is time for good players to and from the big league threshold to come down to the minors after being judged out of power in the major leagues.

Barnes has recorded 507 ⅓ innings in 86 games, 32 wins, 28 losses and an ERA of 3.42 for three years since he wore Lotte's uniform in 2022. The Lotte club trusted Barnes enough to give him an annual salary of $1.5 million ahead of this season.

But now maybe we have to make a big decision. It depends on the choice of manager Kim Tae-hyung and the Lotte club.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.