This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Doosan Bears (51-39-2) at NC Dinos (53-33-2)
Thursday, August 27th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Seung Jin Lee (0-1, 4.02 ERA) vs RHP Myung Gi Song (1-0, 3.62 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos are the best team in the league and, despite a poor run of form over the last few weeks, they remain at the top of the standings while looking every bit of a title contender. The Bears, however, are creeping close to the top spot and have won just two fewer games than the Dinos all season long. This game, as a result, could have major implications in the playoff race. The pitching matchup will feature a duel between two of the most exciting local arms in the league, as the Bears will send Seung Jin Lee to the mound while the Dinos will counter with Myung Gi Song. The numbers seem to favor the Dinos' hurler, who owns a strong 3.62 ERA on the year – although that number spikes to 6.75 when facing the Bears.
Injuries
Doosan Bears
Sang Ho Chung - 10-Day IL - Hand
8/20 10:50 PM IST - Chung was removed from Thursday's game against the Giants with a bruised left hand, according to OSEN. Chung was struck on the hand while catching in the third inning and was unable to continue. It remains to be seen if the injury will cost him more time.
Chris Flexen - Out - Foot
8/17 10:03 PM IST - Flexen (foot) is
Doosan Bears (51-39-2) at NC Dinos (53-33-2)
Thursday, August 27th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Seung Jin Lee (0-1, 4.02 ERA) vs RHP Myung Gi Song (1-0, 3.62 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos are the best team in the league and, despite a poor run of form over the last few weeks, they remain at the top of the standings while looking every bit of a title contender. The Bears, however, are creeping close to the top spot and have won just two fewer games than the Dinos all season long. This game, as a result, could have major implications in the playoff race. The pitching matchup will feature a duel between two of the most exciting local arms in the league, as the Bears will send Seung Jin Lee to the mound while the Dinos will counter with Myung Gi Song. The numbers seem to favor the Dinos' hurler, who owns a strong 3.62 ERA on the year – although that number spikes to 6.75 when facing the Bears.
Injuries
Doosan Bears
Sang Ho Chung - 10-Day IL - Hand
8/20 10:50 PM IST - Chung was removed from Thursday's game against the Giants with a bruised left hand, according to OSEN. Chung was struck on the hand while catching in the third inning and was unable to continue. It remains to be seen if the injury will cost him more time.
Chris Flexen - Out - Foot
8/17 10:03 PM IST - Flexen (foot) is not expected to pitch again until September at the earliest, according to chosun.com. Flexen continues to work his way back from a broken foot, and it looks like he still has several steps to go in his recovery.
Duk Joo Ham - Out - Not Injury Related
8/21 2:01 PM IST - Ham was sent down by the Bears on Friday, Ik Rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo reports. It is unclear as to why the southpaw lasted just one day with Doosan since returning from an elbow injury. Ham faced two batters during Thursday's 6-5 loss against Lotte.
Kyoung Min Hur - 10-Day IL - Calf
8/20 2:34 PM IST - Hur was placed on the injured list Thursday with pain in his left calf, Ik Rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo reports. The third baseman reportedly needs around five days to recover. Hur has been bothered by calf pain during August, missing two starts over Doosan's last six games because of it.
Jae Hwan Kim - Day-To-Day - Bruise
8/27 1:18 AM IST - Kim was removed after six innings in Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Tigers after suffering a bruise, Soo Jin Park of the Money Today Star News reports. He finished the game 0-for-3 with an RBI. Kim picked up the injury when he fouled a ball off himself during his sixth-inning plate appearance. Park suggested that Kim was removed from the contest for cautionary purposes more than anything, so the 31-year-old should have a decent chance at making his way back into the lineup Thursday against the Dinos.
Yong Chan Lee - Out - Elbow
6/4 2:49 PM IST - Lee will undergo Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss at least a year, Daniel Kim of DKTV reports. Lee has started regularly for Doosan since 2018, but his 2020 season will come to an early and abrupt end as a result of his elbow injury. It remains to be seen who will enter the rotation in Lee's place, as the Giants have only needed five starting pitchers to date.
Jae Won Oh - 10-Day IL - Back
8/19 10:13 PM IST - Oh is dealing with a sore back and will undergo tests to determine the extent of his injury, according to Ik Rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo. The extent of Oh's injury is not yet known, but the Bears figure to release an update on his status after he is checked out by doctors.
NC Dinos
Sung Young Choi - Out - Not Injury Related
8/24 10:25 PM IST - Choi was removed from the Lions' roster Monday, according to OSEN. Choi started regularly for the Dinos the last couple months, but he was not sharp over his last few starts, so the club decided to remove him from both the rotation and the roster for the time being. It remains to be seen who will take the ball next time Choi's spot in the rotation comes up.
Chang Mo Koo - 10-Day IL - Forearm
8/24 9:12 PM IST - Dinos manager Dong Wook Lee said that Koo (forearm) will begin a long-toss throwing program Tuesday, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency reports. Before being shut down in late July with a forearm injury, Koo had been one of the top starting pitchers in the KBO, posting a 1.55 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 99:17 K:BB across 87 frames. Though Koo looks to be taking a step forward by beginning a throwing program, Lee suggested the 23-year-old lefty will eventually need to make a rehab start or two in the Futures League before the Dinos are comfortable activating him.
Hee Dong Kwon - Day-To-Day - Knee
8/27 1:12 AM IST - Kwon was lifted in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday in the Dinos' 9-5 win over the Eagles due to a bruised right knee. The Dinos called on Sung Wook Kim to pinch run for Kwon after the 29-year-old was hit by a pitch in his fourth plate appearance of the night. Kwon went hitless over his first three at-bats, dropping his August batting average to .220 over 18 games. The Dinos don't seem overly concerned about Kwon's injury, but he may not be ready to play in Thursday's series opener with the Bears.
Jae Hak Lee - Out - Not Injury Related
8/20 10:00 PM IST - Lee was sent to the minors after his last start and will not start Friday, according to chosun.com. Lee's spot in the rotation comes up Friday, but he will not fill it this time through, as he was demoted after being tagged for 10 earned runs his last time out. Myung Gi Song will get the start Friday in Lee's place.
NC Dinos Expected Lineup
SP - Myung Gi Song
1. Min Woo Park
2. Myung Gi Lee
3. Sung Bum Na
4. Eui Ji Yang
6. Jin Hyuk No
Doosan Bears Expected Lineup
SP - Seung Jin Lee
1. Soo Bin Jung
3. Jae Il Oh
4. Jae Hwan Kim
6. Kun Woo Park
7. Jae Ho Kim
8. Se Hyuk Park
9. Yoo Chan Lee
Top Picks From Each Team
Sung Bum Na, Dinos: Na went 4-for-5 with a home run, five total RBI and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Eagles. The talented slugger has been on fire during the current month, hitting .375 with a 1.188 OPS, seven homers and 23 RBI in 80 at-bats this month.
Jose Fernandez, Bears: Fernandez has racked up exactly three hits in each of his last three games, and he is riding a four-game winning streak. There was talk of him going through a "slump" this month, but he has bounced back strongly and now is slashing .384/.429/.488 with a .917 OPS in 86 at-bats during August.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Myung Gi Song
C – Se Hyuk Park
IF – Jae Il Oh
IF – Jose Fernandez (VC)
IF – Jae Ho Kim
IF – Jae Won Oh
IF – Min Seok Kwon
OF – Sung Bum Na (C)
OF – Aaron Altherr
