This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
NC Dinos (36-16) at SK Wyverns (16-37)
Tuesday, July 7th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Seung Won Moon (2-4, 3.26 ERA) vs LHP Chang Mo Koo (7-0, 1.50 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos and the Wyverns enter this matchup in opposite runs of form – while the Dinos are the consensus top team in the KBO thanks to the fact they sit 20 games over the .500 mark, the Wyverns are struggling after experiencing a rise in form during June and sit near the bottom of the standings. The 10-game form is perhaps not the best example of how both things have performed all season long, though. While the Dinos have gone 6-4 while riding a two-game winning streak, the Wyverns are "only" 4-6. The pitching matchup also represents a huge advantage towards the Dinos since they will trout star lefty Chang Mo Koo, who has gone 7-0 with a stellar 1.50 ERA so far. The Wyverns will counter with Seung Won Moon, who has been one of their best pitchers in 2020 thanks to a 3.26 ERA in 10 starts.
Injuries
Dinos
Joon Wan Kim - 10-Day IL - Side
6/1 10:41 PM IST - Kim felt soreness in his right side last week, according to OSEN, and was placed on the injured list. It's not clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but the Dinos' reserve outfielder has not played since May 28 and will apparently miss more time. Sung Wook Kim was added to
NC Dinos (36-16) at SK Wyverns (16-37)
Tuesday, July 7th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Seung Won Moon (2-4, 3.26 ERA) vs LHP Chang Mo Koo (7-0, 1.50 ERA)
Game Preview
The Dinos and the Wyverns enter this matchup in opposite runs of form – while the Dinos are the consensus top team in the KBO thanks to the fact they sit 20 games over the .500 mark, the Wyverns are struggling after experiencing a rise in form during June and sit near the bottom of the standings. The 10-game form is perhaps not the best example of how both things have performed all season long, though. While the Dinos have gone 6-4 while riding a two-game winning streak, the Wyverns are "only" 4-6. The pitching matchup also represents a huge advantage towards the Dinos since they will trout star lefty Chang Mo Koo, who has gone 7-0 with a stellar 1.50 ERA so far. The Wyverns will counter with Seung Won Moon, who has been one of their best pitchers in 2020 thanks to a 3.26 ERA in 10 starts.
Injuries
Dinos
Joon Wan Kim - 10-Day IL - Side
6/1 10:41 PM IST - Kim felt soreness in his right side last week, according to OSEN, and was placed on the injured list. It's not clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but the Dinos' reserve outfielder has not played since May 28 and will apparently miss more time. Sung Wook Kim was added to the roster in Joon Wan Kim's place.
Min Woo Park - 10-Day IL - Hamstring
7/1 2:09 PM IST - Kim landed on the injured list Wednesday due to pain in his right hamstring, Ik-Rae Choi of The Dong-a Ilbo reports. The 27-year-old suffered the injury on a slide to second base during the third inning of Tuesday's game. It is reportedly not too severe, but he will require monitoring for the time being. NC called up Suk Hoon Ji as Park's roster replacement Wednesday.
Wyverns
Jae Hoon Ha - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
6/23 12:02 AM IST - Ha was removed from the Wyverns' roster on Monday, Soo Jin Park of Star News reports. Ha was removed from the closer's role last week, and after allowing two earned runs in his first appearance after that, he was taken off the roster altogether. No injury has been reported, but Ha simply has not been himself this year after dominating out of the Wyverns' bullpen in 2019. He will get a chance to iron things out and figures to rejoin the top club at some point down the road.
Dong Min Han - 10-Day IL - Lower Leg
6/11 2:22 AM IST - Han (lower leg) is expected to return between late June and early July, Newsis reports. Han still has a ways to go in his recovery, and manager Kyung Yup Yeom said he "will not be in a hurry" to get Han back. However, Han appears to be progressing well and still has a chance to return to the field sooner than originally expected.
Ji Kwang Kang - Out - Shoulder
6/15 2:22 PM IST - Kang, who has alternated between position player and relief pitcher the last few seasons, will resume pitching in Futures League games Wednesday, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV reports. Kang converted from pitcher to hitter when he was drafted in 2009, per the Yonhap News Agency, but he never saw much action as a hitter and gave pitching another shot a couple years ago. The move appeared to be a good one, as he allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings (1.65 ERA) over his final 15 appearances last season. However, he was plagued by shoulder soreness that sidelined him after mid-June and entered this season as a hitter again. He is now feeling good enough to give pitching another shot, and if all goes well he could be a factor out of the Wyverns' bullpen at some point soon.
Chang Pyung Kim - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
6/15 5:50 AM IST - Kim (shoulder) is on track to return to action by the end of the month, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV reports. Kim has not played for SK since May 24, and the Wyverns have been cautious with his recovery because he has dealt with the same issue in the past. However, Kim is nearing the end of the process and could make a Futures League appearance next week. If all goes well, he should resume playing before June comes to a close.
Jong Wook Ko - Out - Not Injury Related
7/4 11:08 PM IST - Ko was removed from the Wyverns' roster Friday, according to MBN. Ko went just 12-for-52 (.231) over 18 games after recovering from an ankle injury, so SK decided to send him down to work on some things. SK frequently rotates its outfielders, so several players could see more action until Ko rejoins the top club.
Jae Won Lee - Out - Not Injury Related
7/4 10:54 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Wyverns' roster Friday, according to ohmynews.com. Lee went just 4-for-36 over 11 games after recovering from a fractured thumb, so the Wyverns sent him to their Futures League club to try and iron things out there. Hyun Seok Lee will serve as the Wyverns' primary catcher for the time being.
Heung Ryun Lee - Out - Shoulder
6/20 1:02 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Wyverns' roster Saturday due to a shoulder injury, according to Soo Jin Park of Star News. It remains to be seen how long Lee will be sidelined, but with SK's starting catcher, Jae Won Lee, being activated from the injured list in the corresponding move, he is in line to fill a reserve role whenever he is ready to play again.
Dinos' Expected Lineup
SP - Chang Mo Koo
1. Myung Gi Lee
3. Sung Bum Na
5. Eui Ji Yang
6. Suk Min Park
8. Jin Hyuk No
9. Tae Jin Kim
Wyverns' Expected Lineup
SP - Seung Won Moon
1. Ji Hoon Choi
2. Jun Hyeok Oh
3. Jeong Choi
4. Jamie Romak
5. Tae In Chae
9. Kyung Ho Kim
Top Picks
Chang Mo Koo, Dinos: It's quite strange to list a pitcher as the best captaincy alternative, but that's just how dominant Koo has been this season. The star lefty, who seems to have a bright future stateside sooner than later, is yet to lose a game and has posted a stellar 1.50 ERA in 66 innings of work this season.
Sung Bum Na, Dinos: Na would be a popular captaincy option if Koo wouldn't be the starter in this matchup, as the veteran outfielder has looked impressive in 2020 and has been one of the best offensive threats in the league. He enters this matchup in a six-game hitting streak and has posted multi-hit efforts four times during that span.
Joon Woo Choi, Wyverns: Choi missed several games in June, but he is hitting .278 in his last 17 games since returning to the lineup June 16. Other names such as Jamie Romak might offer more upside, but Choi is a strong play based on his cost.
Aaron Altherr, Dinos: Altherr went 0-for-3 in his last appearance, but he has been one of the best hitters in the KBO over the last few weeks. The outfielder, who has plenty of MLB experience under his belt, has hit safely in 10 of his last 15 games, posting a .346/.404/.692 with five homers and 12 RBI during that span.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Chang Mo Koo (C)
C – Hyun Seok Lee
IF – Suk Min Park
IF – Joon Woo Choi
OF – Ji Hoon Choi
OF – Aaron Altherr
OF – Sung Bum Na (VC)
OF – Myung Gi Lee
OF – Hee Dong Kwon
