“It is difficult to fight.”
KIA right-handed setup man Jang Hyeon-sik (28) was a “bullpen ball key” after transferring during the 2020 season. He was 31⅓ innings in 28 games in the 2020 season, 76⅔ innings in 69 games in the 2021 season, and 52 innings in 54 games in the 2022 season. In fact, in 2019, when he was in NC, fatigue accumulated over the years as he played 54⅔ innings in 53 games.
He even had 4 consecutive fights over three days from October 8 to 10, 2021, when he was his full-time manager. On the 10th, it became a big controversy as it went to the first and second games of the double header against Hanwha. As he went through these things, his arm was overloaded, and in the 2022 season, he was once out of the first team due to an elbow issue in the first and second half of the season.
In the end, he decided to undergo elbow bone fragmentation surgery while completing the schedule for the second half of the 2022 season. Director Kim Jong-guk did not force Jang Hyeon-sik, but he could not do anything about the fatigue that had already accumulated. Instead, I gave enough time to Jang Hyun-sik, who underwent surgery last October. He even took care of being called to the Okinawa spring camp to rehabilitate in a warm environment.
128⅔ innings in 123 games over his last two years. Director Kim does not overlook this. On the 23rd, Jang Hyeon-sik took the mound in the top of the 8th inning with a 5-3 lead at the Gwangju Samsung Games, mixing a mid-140km fastball, slider, and splitter, giving up one hit and no run in one inning and even taking a hold. However, he plans to refrain from such use as much as possible.
Head coach Kim Jong-guk said, ahead of the match against Gwangju NC on the 25th, “I originally tried to put it in a relaxed situation, but recently, there was no room for it because of repeated close games. There must have been pressure, but he showed his original appearance. It was a performance before the injury. The balance was also stable, and as Hyunsik added, the left and right balance of the bullpen was adjusted. Power has been stably established.” 메이저사이트
He added, “Hyunsik is still having a hard time fighting. He will be able to fight when the days are a bit more relaxed. If he goes to one game for the time being, he will appoint the next day in the direction of rest, feeling like an alternate day.” He even said, “I went out as a setup man in the 8th inning, but I wonder if I should go out in front of him in the 7th inning.”
He goes beyond banning fights, and will not let him out even in the 8th inning, and will thoroughly manage it. It is true that the 8th inning is more burdensome than the 6th and 7th innings for bullpen pitchers. Looking at the KIA bullpen situation, there is no reason for Jang Hyun-sik to overdo it. Closers Jeong Hae-young, right-hander Jeon Sang-hyun, and left-handers Lee Jun-young, Kim Ki-hoon, Kim Dae-yu, and Choi Ji-min can all be appointed as a winning team.
Director Kim said, “Lee Joon-young and Kim Dae-yu are both set-up men and one-point players. Wouldn’t Kim Ki-hoon and Choi Ji-min be able to use more widely? Ki-hoon is a style that does not cover left and right batters. If Ki-hoon has a recent performance, he has the ability to block one inning without covering the left and right batters in the second half.”