This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Hanwha Eagles (5-9) vs KT Wiz (6-7)
Thursday, May 21, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Ee Whan Kim (1-0, 1.64 ERA) vs RHP Hyeong Jun So (2-0, 3.18 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wiz are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment and enter this matchup on a five-game winning streak following Wednesday's 8-1 victory over the Eagles. They might sit in seventh place with a 6-7 record, but it's clear their slow start to the season is now behind them. Hanwha, on the other hand, have lost two in a row to fall to 5-9, but that could be attributed to the fact they have been dealing with several key injuries over the past few days. The Eagles will attempt to end the skid sending Ee Whan Kim to the mound, while the Wiz will counter with Hyeong Jun So. Kim has allowed just two runs in 11 innings this season, while So has led the Wiz to wins in his two outings thus far.
Injuries
Chad Bell – Eagles – Out – Elbow
May 19 - Bell (elbow) said he's planning on throwing a two-inning simulated game Thursday, Joong-rok Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Bell indicated that his sprained left elbow has responded well to a pair of bullpen sessions, so he'll take the next step forward in his recovery by facing live hitters. If all goes well during Thursday's simulated game, Bell could slot back into the rotation early next
Hanwha Eagles (5-9) vs KT Wiz (6-7)
Thursday, May 21, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Ee Whan Kim (1-0, 1.64 ERA) vs RHP Hyeong Jun So (2-0, 3.18 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wiz are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment and enter this matchup on a five-game winning streak following Wednesday's 8-1 victory over the Eagles. They might sit in seventh place with a 6-7 record, but it's clear their slow start to the season is now behind them. Hanwha, on the other hand, have lost two in a row to fall to 5-9, but that could be attributed to the fact they have been dealing with several key injuries over the past few days. The Eagles will attempt to end the skid sending Ee Whan Kim to the mound, while the Wiz will counter with Hyeong Jun So. Kim has allowed just two runs in 11 innings this season, while So has led the Wiz to wins in his two outings thus far.
Injuries
Chad Bell – Eagles – Out – Elbow
May 19 - Bell (elbow) said he's planning on throwing a two-inning simulated game Thursday, Joong-rok Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Bell indicated that his sprained left elbow has responded well to a pair of bullpen sessions, so he'll take the next step forward in his recovery by facing live hitters. If all goes well during Thursday's simulated game, Bell could slot back into the rotation early next week.
Ju Seok Ha – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Ha will be sidelined for four weeks with right thigh muscle pain, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The club also announced that Sun Jin Oh would require about four weeks of rehab after he and Ha were both diagnosed with thigh injuries following Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants. Ha's loss is a significant one for the Eagles, as he slashed .333/.349/.405 with seven RBI through 12 games. With Oh's injury further thinning the Eagles' depth in the infield, Si Hwan Noh looks to be the next man up to slot in as the club's everyday shortstop.
Jared Hoying – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Back
May 19 - Hoying (back) indicated that he expects to resume working out Thursday, Young-rok Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Hoying has been sidelined since May 14 with a sprained lumbar, but the injury doesn't look as though it'll be a long-term concern. If Hoying is able to resume working out within the next few days without discomfort, he could be ready to return from the 10-day injured list sometime next week.
Woo Ram Jeong – Eagles – Day-To-Day – Back
May 17 - Jeong was withheld from Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants in 11 innings due to back pain, Jae-Gun Jeong of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Jeong's back issue apparently first surfaced on Thursday, when he closed out the Eagles' win over the Tigers. Though he proceeded to record a save the next day in the series opener against Lotte, Jeong experienced renewed issues with his back while warming up Sunday and was ultimately held out of action. Instead, Jin Young Kim was called on for the save opportunity in the top of the ninth, though he failed to protect the lead. Consider Jeong day-to-day heading into Tuesday's series opener versus the Wiz.
Eun Won Jung – Eagles – Day-To-Day – Head
May 20 - Jung was lifted in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Wiz after being hit in the head by a pitch, Young-rok Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Stepping into the leadoff role for a banged-up Eagles lineup, Jung recorded a pair of base hits in his first three at-bats before he became the newest addition to the team's mounting injury list. Hanwha will presumably evaluate Jung for a concussion before determining his status ahead of Thursday's series finale. He was replaced Wednesday by Hyun Min Kim.
Tae-Kyun Kim – Eagles – Out – Not Injury Related
May 20 - Kim was removed from Hanwha's first-team entry Wednesday, according to chosun.com. Kim is off to a dreadful start this year, hitting just .103 (3-for-29) through 11 games, so he will spend some time with Hanwha's second team in hopes that gets him back on track.
Sun Jin Oh – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Oh would be sidelined for four weeks due to a right thigh injury, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh's absence from the lineup in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants was believed to be a routine off day, but the Eagles were apparently evaluating him for an injury that he picked up the previous day. Doctors determined Oh was dealing with damage to the medial muscle of his right thigh, an injury that will keep him on the shelf through at least mid-June. Teammate Ju Seok Ha picked up the same injury in Sunday's game and will also be sidelined for at least four weeks, leaving the Eagles supremely thin in the infield. Oh has been the Eagles' top hitter so far during the young season, slashing .346/.357/.538 with a home run and five RBI over his 28 plate appearances.
Han Joon Yoo – Wiz – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 17 - Yoo (thigh) is expected to be sidelined for six weeks with a torn adductor, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports. The veteran outfielder suffered the injury during Saturday's contest and is now looking at an extended absence. Yoo was off to a strong start this season with a .300/.349/.475 slash line and two home runs through 10 games.
Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup:
SP - Ee Whan Kim
1. Eun Won Jung
2. Yong-Kyu Lee
3. Moon Ho Kim
6. Jin Ho Jeong
8. Si Hwan Noh
9. Tae-hyung Noh
KT Wiz Expected Lineup:
SP - Hyeong Jun So
1. Woo Joon Sim
3. Yong Ho Jo
4. Baek Ho Kang
5. Mel Rojas
Top picks:
Mel Rojas, Wiz: Rojas went 3-for-5 during Wednesday's contest, starting a new two-game hitting streak after his 10-game streak to start the season was snapped Sunday. The soon-to-be 31-year-old outfielder continues to be one of the league's premier offensive weapons, as evidenced by his .436 average and 1.138 OPS through his first 59 plate appearances.
Jae-gyun Hwang, Wiz: Hwang has gotten quite hot over his last few games. He went 3-for-4 with two RBI on Wednesday and has now posted back-to-back three-hit performances. Wednesday's production also extended his hitting streak to five games, a stretch during which he's compiled five RBI and five extra-base hits on his way to a spectacular .474 batting average.
Moon Ho Kim, Eagles: The Eagles are seriously depleted by injuries, but Kim seems to be one of their most reliable hitters available for this matchup. He's hit safely in all four of his appearances to date, reaching base at least twice in his last three contests to go along with a .462/.533/.538 slash line in 15 plate appearances.
Hyeong Jun So, Wiz: So hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his first two outings this season and owns a 3.18 ERA in his first 11.1 innings of work. He has a good chance of extending that streak of solid results against a depleted Hanwha lineup missing several regular bats, including Ju Seok Ha, Sun Jin Oh and Jared Hoying.
Captaincy Options:
1. Mel Rojas
3. Moon Ho Kim
Dream11 Team
P – Hyeong Jun So
C – Seong Woo Jang
IF – Jae-gyun Hwang (VC)
IF – Seong Yul Lee
IF – Si Hwan Noh
OF – Jin Ho Jeong
OF - Mel Rojas (C)
OF – Baek Ho Kang
OF – Moon Ho Kim
