Doosan Bears catcher Yang Eui-ji is finally back after recovering from a side injury. Doosan, which has been on a downtrend with 3 wins and 7 losses in 10 games since Yang Eui-ji’s loss, is expected to seek a rebound with the return of the irreplaceable homemaker, who has been waiting for a long time.
Doosan canceled infielder Park Ji-hoon from the first team entry on August 21st. Park Ji-hoon, who has been promoted to the first team for the first time this season, plays one at-bat as a pinch hitter in the game against Jamsil NC Dinos on August 20, and then returns to the Future Team.
Yang Eui-ji is the most likely player to fill Park Ji-hoon’s absence. Yang Eui-ji was removed from the first team entry on August 8 due to muscle damage in his left flank. The player himself had the will to play, but he discouraged it from the Doosan club and the bench. This was because he judged that it was more important to recover 100% of his condition even if he was given a break than to suffer a bigger injury by overdoing it because there were more important matches in late August and September.
As expected, the vacancy without Yang Eui-ji was too large. Jang Seung-hyun and Park Yoo-yeon fought hard, but there were clearly limits in the offense and defense. Doosan suffered a downward trend with 3 wins and 7 losses in 10 games played after Yang Eui-ji was missing. As a result, the season collapsed to 50% with a win rate of 50 wins, 1 draw and 51 losses, and stayed in 5th place without a game with the 6th place KIA Tigers.
As much as I endured so hard, good news came flying. Yang Eui-ji’s comeback was right in front of his eyes. Yang Eui-ji, who did not find any major abnormalities as a result of the re-examination on August 18, raised her condition by accompanying the team to outdoor training during the series last weekend. Head coach Lee Seung-yeop expected Yang Eui-ji to be registered as a first-team entry ahead of the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes match on August 22.
Coach Lee said, “Yang Eui-ji performed outdoor training normally over the weekend. He plans to register for the first team entry ahead of the match on the 22nd, unless there is a major problem with his physical condition before registering next week. It seems difficult to get into the starting lineup right from the first day of his registration. He is likely to be ready to play in the second half of the game.”안전놀이터
As Yang Eui-ji will return soon, Doosan is also in an atmosphere where it is necessary to look at a higher ranking in the fight for the top 5 by building up the recently forgotten multiplier again. Coach Lee also emphasized that he did not forcefully use Yang Eui-ji for the match in the second half. It is expected that the all-out war on the mound will not be boring.
Director Lee said, “It is a fierce trend for the 5th place to the extent that the ranking changes every day when I wake up. He holds on to the number 5 position for some time, believing that one day he will have a chance to rise to a higher rank. So, Yang Eui-ji also tried not to forcefully use it for his personal greed as a manager. With more than 40 games left, the really important match will come later. He believes that the pitching staff has been able to manage without overdoing it, so the moment to bet on the game will come.”
Doosan meets Kiwoom Heroes (home), SSG Landers (home), and LG Twins (away) in the remainder of August, and then meets Lotte Giants (away) and KIA Tigers (home), who are rivals in the top five, from the start of September. With Yang Eui-ji returning, Doosan will be able to show the same upward trend as when it achieved 11 consecutive wins in July, while it will become a big match in the competition for the top 5.