SSG Landers bounced back from the All-Star break and the rain delay. They’re back to full strength and running away with the lead.바카라사이트
SSG had a series of late-game departures in the first half. Kirk McCarty, who had been the ace with a 7-3 record and 2.52 ERA, was sidelined for over a month with left elbow discomfort. His last appearance was on June 22 against the Doosan Bears.
Choi missed the remainder of the first half, ending with a thigh muscle injury against the KIA Tigers on June 5. Guillermo Heredia traveled to the United States on June 10 for a naturalization interview. This means that the league’s home run and RBI leader (Choi), batting average leader (Heredia), and wins leader (McCarty) are all gone at once.
After losing the lead to LG in late June, SSG faltered in July. They finished the first half in second place, 2.5 games behind LG.
For SSG, the week-long All-Star break was bittersweet. The team had six rainouts in July to minimize the number of injured players. Four games were postponed from July 1-13, and there were already two rainouts later in the month. These games will be rescheduled in September.
Meanwhile, the main players returned one by one. Choi came back from injury to bat No. 3 against LG in Jamsil, Seoul, on April 21 and went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk. SSG won 6-4, closing the gap on LG to 1.5 games. Choi, who is playing as a designated hitter, is expected to gradually work on his third base defense this week.
McCarty will take the mound for the first time in about a month on April 26 against the Daegu Samsung Lions. His scheduled start in the Futures (second team) league has been postponed due to rain, and he is expected to throw no more than 50 pitches that day.
Heredia joined the 23rd team after returning home behind schedule. The team only played two games during his three-month absence. SSG head coach Kim Won-hyung announced, “We will send Heredia to the game as early as Tuesday (25th).” Heredia said, “I can play anytime. Heredia was motivated, saying, “I can play anytime.”
Ha Jae-hoon, who was sidelined with a fractured left thumb in mid-June, also returned. He started in the sixth spot in left field on the 21st and went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBIs. With the addition of Ha and Jae-hoon, SSG’s batting lineup is almost complete.
However, there is still one spot open in the starting rotation. Jong-hoon Park has struggled this season, going 1-6 with a 6.31 ERA. The team also awaits the return of closer Choi Min-jun, who is 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 29 games this year with one save and six holds.
“We have some players coming back from injury (in the second half), and we’ll try to prepare well so that we can show a good performance,” Kim said.