KT Wiz, who boasted the most powerful starting lineup in the league, took on the task of a gap in the selection of native players. Right-handed pitcher Eom Sang-baek was taken off the line due to an injury.
A KT official said on the 25th, “Eom Sang-baek underwent an MRI and X-ray examination at a hospital in Seoul today, and was diagnosed with a microfracture of the 8th rib.” I will undergo a re-examination,” he explained. According to the KT club, it is expected that it will take about 4 weeks for him to return. Considering the time to raise the sense of actual combat, it seems difficult to return within September.스포츠토토
Eom Sang-baek, who has accumulated experience since 2015, the first year of KT’s first team, recorded an average ERA of 2.95 with 11 wins and 2 losses in 33 games and 140⅓ innings last season, achieving a double-digit multiplier for the first time since his professional debut. Until the previous season, it was difficult to digest many innings because of the big ups and downs, but he gained the trust of the team by solving the task of ‘anxiety in pitching’.
Eom Sang-baek, who continued his smooth sailing this season, recorded an average ERA of 3.63 with 7 wins and 6 losses in 20 games and 111⅔ innings, and was gradually approaching 10 wins for the second consecutive year. In particular, by building the strongest domestic starting lineup with Koh Young-pyo and Bae Seong-seong, the vacancy of So-jun So-jun, who ended the season early due to injury, was minimized, and from the team’s point of view, such a good fight by Eom Sang-baek was a great strength.
Eom Sang-baek was shaken with an average ERA of 6.12 with 2 wins and 3 losses in 25 innings in 6 games in May, but after finding stability from last month, he played 6 or more innings in 6 consecutive games. Against Suwon SSG Landers on August 3 and against Hanwha Eagles on August 9, he relieved the burden of the bullpen by pitching 7 innings in two consecutive games.
Eom Sang-baek went down the mound after recording 5 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts and 4 runs in 5⅔ innings against the Suwon KIA Tigers on the 22nd, his most recent appearance. It was after that that the problem arose. He complained of pain in his side that made it difficult to sleep, and was eventually eliminated from the first team entry prior to KIA on the 24th.
Even on the day of his expungement, it looked like it wouldn’t be a major injury. In a phone call with Xsports News on the 24th, a KT team official said, “Eom Sang-baek had pain in the right latissimus dorsi muscle, so he was examined, but there were no abnormal findings.” is,” he said. However, both Eom Sang-baek and KT could not avoid the ‘worst case scenario’.
The team, which struggled with big and small injuries until the beginning of the season, became closer as time went on, and KT coach Lee Kang-cheol was able to manage the squad with a more comfortable mind. Thanks to the momentum with the return of injured players, the ranking was raised to 2nd place, and the ‘green light’ was turned on in the challenge to advance to the postseason for 4 consecutive years.
First of all, KT plans to find an ‘alternative selection’ to replace Eom Sang-baek for the time being. It remains to be seen whether KT can keep its second place amid the vacancy of Eom Sang-baek, while players with experience in starting or who can lead long innings are expected to fill the void.
Meanwhile, KT is playing the 13th game of the season against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on this day. The lineup is Kim Min-hyeok (right fielder) – Kim Sang-soo (shortstop) – Hwang Jae-kyun (3rd baseman) – Jang Seong-woo (catcher) – Anthony Alford (left fielder) – Moon Sang-cheol (designated hitter) – Oh Yoon-seok (1st baseman) – Lee Ho-yeon (2nd baseman) – Bae Jeong-dae (Center fielder) In order, ’12-win pitcher’ Wes Benjamin was in charge of the starting position.
