Doosan Bears catcher Yang-ji has been examined at the hospital and found to have a muscle abnormality in his side. Fortunately, the injury is not serious, but the coaching staff will discuss Yang’s removal from the first team roster on Aug. 8.
Doosan lost to the KT WIZ in Jamsil on August 6 by a score of 1 to 3. With 47 wins, one draw, and 44 losses on the season, Doosan dropped back to fifth place in the league.
Yang’s name was not in the Doosan starting lineup for the game. Doosan went with the following starting batting order: Jung Soo-bin (center field), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Jose Rojas (right field), Kim Jae-hwan (left field), Kim In-tae (designated hitter), Yang Seok-hwan (first base), Kang Seung-ho (second base), Jang Seung-hyun (catcher), and Heo Kyung-min (third base).
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop met with the media before the game on June 6 and said, “Yang-ji dropped out of the starting lineup due to side pain. It seems that he felt discomfort in the swinging process at the plate the day before, along with the after-effects of tonsillitis. I don’t think it will be difficult for him to play as a pinch-hitter today, and he will undergo a medical examination tomorrow (July 7).”
Yang has played in 87 games this season, batting .323 with 94 hits, nine home runs and 44 RBIs in the team’s center field lineup. Yang’s absence was made all the more painful by the fact that he wore the starting catcher’s mask and consistently led the team from the mound.
Doosan played against KT on the 6th without Yang Ji and lost 1-3 due to the team’s batting silence. Kim Jae-hwan, who returned to the No. 4 spot in the order, was also unable to fill Yang’s void and had a lethargic performance.
After feeling discomfort in his side throughout the weekend, Yang had a medical checkup on the 7th. As a result, it was discovered that there was actually a muscle abnormality related to the tightness in his side.
A Doosan representative said on July 7, “Yang-ji had a medical checkup today, and an abnormality was found in the muscle area of his side where he complained of tightness. He is not seriously injured, so there is no immediate plan to remove him from the first team today. However, we will discuss with the coaching staff before the game on August 8 to discuss the possibility of removing Yang Ji from the roster.”
With a side muscle injury, there is a significant potential for it to worsen or recur. Yang is an integral part of the team. Pushing through a side issue and then suffering a more serious injury can be devastating. It might be a better decision to take a tempo break and come back in the second half of the game fully fit.
If Yang Ji is expunged, Jang Seung-hyun and Park Yoo-yeon will have to fill the gap in the starting lineup. Jang Seung-hyun served as Yang Ji’s backup catcher this season, hitting .208 with 20 doubles, three home runs, and eight RBIs in 52 games. Compared to Yang, he has a completely different bat weight.
Park Yoo-yeon, who was recently called up to the first team, is a resource who is more highly regarded for her hitting than her defense. In her case, she needs to show a little more stability in her basic catcher’s defense, such as catching and throwing. Jang Seung-hyun and Park Yoo-yeon will not be able to take over the defense of Doosan.메이저사이트
Still, Yang’s health must come first. Despite being a veteran catcher, Yang has played more than 500 defensive innings (522.2) this season. It’s time to take care of him for the long haul, not just for late-season games, but for postseason play as well.