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KBO teams plagued by injuries ahead of preseason

Published: 27 Feb. 2025, 17:00

LG Twins right-handed pitcher Jang Hyun-sik pitches in the bullpen during a spring training camp held at the Indian School Park Baseball Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona on Feb. 14. [YONHAP]

With spring training winding down and preseason fast approaching, Korean baseball clubs have been beset by injuries to key players.

The LG Twins have lost reliever Jang Hyun-sik, their prized free agent acquisition, to a freak ankle injury.

Jang rolled his right ankle while taking a stroll in Scottsdale, Arizona, the team's spring training base, on Feb. 16. He was diagnosed with a torn ligament on his right foot and will be sidelined for about four weeks.

The preseason in the KBO starts March 8, followed by the regular season on March 22. Jang could potentially be ready for Opening Day, though the Twins will likely hold him back to make sure he is fully built back up.

Jang signed a four-year, 5.2 billion-won ($3.6 million) deal with the Twins in November, leaving the 2024 Korean Series champions Kia Tigers to join the 2023 winners.

The 30-year-old has been one of the KBO's most reliable setup men over the past handful of years, recording 80 holds from 2020 to 2024 to rank third overall in the league. Last year, Jang had 75 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings with a 3.94 ERA, and tossed five scoreless innings in relief while appearing in all five games of the Korean Series.

The Twins are hoping Jang will help restore stability to the bullpen after their relievers combined for a 5.21 ERA in 2024, good for sixth among the 10 teams in the league and well off their KBO-best mark of 3.43 from their championship-winning 2023 season.

Jang was supposed to take over as closer in the early part of the season after their closer from last year, You Young-chan, underwent right elbow surgery in December. He was expected to be out for about three months.

The Samsung Lions, runners-up in last year's Korean Series, have seen starting pitcher Denyi Reyes and third baseman Kim Young-woong leave spring training early due to injuries.

The Lions said Thursday that Reyes has been diagnosed with a stress fracture on his right foot, after complaining of foot pains following a scrimmage in Japan last Saturday. He was scheduled to undergo further tests at a Korean hospital later Thursday.

Reyes went 11-4 with a 3.81 in the regular season but shined more brightly in the postseason. He tossed seven shutout innings in the Lions' 4-2 win in Game 3 of the Korean Series — their lone win of the championship round — after holding the Twins to one earned run over 13 2/3 innings in two games of the previous postseason series.

Samsung Lions starting pitcher Denyi Reyes roars as he finishes an inning during game 3 of the 2024 Korean Series between against the KiaTigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Oct. 25., 2024. [YONHAP]

Reyes is expected to miss all of the preseason.

Kim, who belted a career-high 28 home runs last year, is dealing with a bruised right rib. The Lions said Kim was sent home last Saturday and is rehabbing in the team's minor league facilities in Gyeongsan, about 20 kilometers east of their home city of Daegu.

The Lions noted that Kim is not in severe pain but they are playing it safe with the 21-year-old slugger.

Hitting the sidelines before Reyes and Kim was a hard-throwing reliever Kim Yun-su, who underwent season-ending elbow surgery earlier this month.

Lotte Giants reliever Choi Jun-yong hit a speed bump in his comeback from shoulder surgery, as his right elbow ligament damage will keep him out until April at least.

Choi, 23, recorded 14 saves in 2022 and then 14 holds in 2023, while posting his career-best 2.45 ERA. His 2024 season was cut short due to shoulder operation in August.

The Giants said the recent injury is not related to Choi's prior shoulder issues.

Yonhap