This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Kia Tigers (10-8) at KT Wiz (7-10)
Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Drew Gagnon (1-2, 3.86 ERA) vs LHP Je Seong Bae (1-0, 0.89 ERA)
Game Preview
Both the Tigers and the Wiz are coming off losses in their previous contests, leaving the Tigers tied for fourth place with a 10-8 record while the Wiz sit in seventh with a 7-10 mark. The Wiz, who will have home-field advantage in this series, have a great chance to turn things around with Je Seong Bae on the mound. The lefty has now gone 14 straight innings with allowing a run and has been one of the best pitchers in the league to date. The Tigers will counter with Drew Gagnon, who is coming off one of his best outings of the season. He tossed six scoreless innings during a win over the Giants last week.
Injuries
Joo Chan Kim – Tigers – Out – Thigh
May 17 - Kim (thigh) has resumed playing in Futures League games, according to chosun.com. Kim underwent surgery on his thigh last December and needed at least four months to recover, per ohmynews.com, but he is nearing the end of the process. The 39-year-old's OPS fell nearly 200 points last year from the year before, but whenever he is deemed ready to play, he will at least give manager Matt Williams another trusted hitter on the roster.
Baek Ho Kang – Wiz – 10-Day IL – Wrist
May 22 - Kang
Kia Tigers (10-8) at KT Wiz (7-10)
Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Drew Gagnon (1-2, 3.86 ERA) vs LHP Je Seong Bae (1-0, 0.89 ERA)
Game Preview
Both the Tigers and the Wiz are coming off losses in their previous contests, leaving the Tigers tied for fourth place with a 10-8 record while the Wiz sit in seventh with a 7-10 mark. The Wiz, who will have home-field advantage in this series, have a great chance to turn things around with Je Seong Bae on the mound. The lefty has now gone 14 straight innings with allowing a run and has been one of the best pitchers in the league to date. The Tigers will counter with Drew Gagnon, who is coming off one of his best outings of the season. He tossed six scoreless innings during a win over the Giants last week.
Injuries
Joo Chan Kim – Tigers – Out – Thigh
May 17 - Kim (thigh) has resumed playing in Futures League games, according to chosun.com. Kim underwent surgery on his thigh last December and needed at least four months to recover, per ohmynews.com, but he is nearing the end of the process. The 39-year-old's OPS fell nearly 200 points last year from the year before, but whenever he is deemed ready to play, he will at least give manager Matt Williams another trusted hitter on the roster.
Baek Ho Kang – Wiz – 10-Day IL – Wrist
May 22 - Kang will be out three weeks with a left wrist injury, Daniel Kim of DKTV reports. Before landing on the injured list, the 20-year-old slugger put up a tremendous .333/.406/.737 stat line while leading the team in home runs (five) and runs batted in (14). Kang has started every game this season as well, so his absence will leave a notable hole in KT's lineup. Seung Wook Park will get the first crack at filling the void, but several other players could get a shot as well.
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.
Kia Tigers Expected Lineup:
SP - Drew Gagnon
1. Chan Ho Park
2. Sun Bin Kim
5. Ji Wan Na
7. Dae In Hwang
KT Wiz Expected Lineup:
SP - Je Seong Bae
1. Woo Joon Sim
3. Yong Ho Jo
4. Mel Rojas
Top picks:
Je Seong Bae, Wiz: The 24-year-old has been on fire to start the season, tossing three straight quality starts. The Tigers aren't the easiest matchup, but he's worth the risk based on his early-season numbers. He has now gone 14 straight innings without allowing a run and sports a dazzling 0.90 ERA to go along with a 1.24 WHIP, 10 strikeouts and just three walks over his last two starts.
Mel Rojas, Wiz: Rojas continues to mash on a daily basis and has been one of the most productive hitters in the league during the first month of the regular season. The left fielder might have gone hitless in his last outing, but he still owns a .423/.468/.690 slash line through his first 78 plate appearances.
Sun Bin Kim, Tigers: Kim enters this matchup on a six-game hitting streak and could be a good bet for the Tigers, especially since he hits near the top of the lineup. Through 79 plate appearances, the second baseman has posted a .430 on-base percentage. That would be a career-high mark for him if he manages to sustain it for the entire season.
Preston Tucker, Tigers: In normal circumstances, Tucker would be an exciting captain option. However, the power-hitting outfielder is coming off an awful week where he recorded just four hits in 26 at-bats, posting a paltry .154 average and a .434 OPS. He had hit .444 from the start of the season through May 17, however, so there's every reason to believe he should remain in most lineups.
Captaincy Options:
1. Je Seong Bae
2. Mel Rojas
3. Sun Bin Kim
Dream11 Team
P – Je Seong Bae (C)
C – Seung Taek Han
IF – Woo Joon Sim
IF – Byung Hee Kim
IF – Sun Bin Kim
OF – Mel Rojas (VC)
OF – Myn Hyeok Kim
OF – Chang Jin Lee
OF – Preston Tucker
