Dream11 Fantasy KBO: Wiz at Eagles

KT Wiz (38-35-1) at Hanwha Eagles (20-55-1)

Friday, August 7th, 5:30 AM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Je Seong Bae (5-2, 4.11 ERA) vs LHP Chad Bell (0-6, 7.44 ERA)

Game Preview

The Wiz are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are likely to mount a late charge towards reaching the playoffs, but they have dropped their last two contests and need to turn things around before it's too late for them. On the other hand, the Eagles have gone 3-6-1 over their past 10 contests and have won just 20 games all season long, so they're clearly thinking about the 2021 season and beyond. The pitching matchup for this contest features Je Seong Bae for the Wiz, and Chad Bell for the Eagles. Bae has been one of the most reliable arms in the Wiz staff, and he also has the advantage of facing a weak lineup such as Hanwha's. Meanwhile, Bell has struggled all year long and might be in line for another long outing against a lineup that's anchored by MVP candidate Mel Rojas.

Injuries

Hanwha Eagles

Jin Ho Jung - Out - Knee

7/13 10:21 PM IST - Jung was removed from Hanwha's roster Monday due to a left knee injury, according to chosun.com. Jung was having a good month of July, going 10-for-25 (.400) over 10 games, but he will now miss some time as a result of his injury. It remains to be seen when he will be ready to rejoin the Eagles' roster.

Bum Soo Kim - Out - Hip

7/30 10:03 PM IST - Kim was removed from the Eagles' roster Thursday due to a hip injury, according to OSEN. It's not yet clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but he has a history of hip issues, so it's possible he could miss some time. Kim is scheduled to meet with a specialist Monday, and a timeline for his recovery should be determined after that.

Jin Young Kim - 10-Day IL - Hand

7/8 10:55 PM IST - Kim was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a hand injury, according to chosun.com. Kim left his last outing with a bruised hand, and it was determined he will need several days to rest and recover. Kim has been busy this season, pitching in roughly half the games the Eagles have played, so some time off could help him regain some stamina.

Ee Whan Kim - Out - Not Injury Related

6/8 12:54 PM IST - Kim was removed from Hanwha's first-team entry Monday, Young Eun Bae of Daily Sports Backstroke reports. The 19-year-old Kim got off to a good start this season, but he did not make it out of the fourth inning in each of his last four outings, so he will pitch for Hanwha's second team for the time being.

Seong Yul Lee - Out - Not Injury Related

7/4 11:50 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Eagles roster Friday, according to koreadaily.com. Lee has not been able to get it going at the plate this season, so he will try to find his swing in the Futures League for the second time in the last few weeks.

Sang Won Park - Out - Not Injury Related

7/28 3:01 PM IST - Park was removed from the Hanwha first team Tuesday, Su Jin Park of Star News reports. The Eagles added Ho Sol Yoon to the bullpen before Tuesday's game against Samsung. Park has struggled for Hanwha in 2020, posting a 5.64 ERA over 30.1 innings through 32 games.

Kwang Min Song - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/8 10:48 PM IST - Song was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a shoulder injury, according to chosun.com. Song does not appear to be dealing with a serious injury, but he will need at least a few days to rest and recover, so Hanwha decided to place him on the injured list and free up a roster spot.

KT Wiz

Min Hyeok Kim - Out - Back

8/6 9:47 PM IST - Kim was placed on the injured list Thursday with back soreness, Ik Rae Choi of the Dong-A Ilbo reports. Kim's injury does not appear to be serious, but it will sideline him for at least the next several games.

Dae Eun Lee - Out - Side

7/3 1:30 AM IST - Lee (side) threw a 45-pitch simulated game Thursday, Taewoo Kim of SpoTVNews.co.kr reports. Lee experienced no side discomfort during the throwing session, so he's expected to join the Wiz's Futures League affiliate as soon as Sunday to begin a rehab assignment. The right-handed reliever has not pitched for the Wiz since May 19 due to the injury, so he may need an appearance or two in the Futures League before rejoining the big club. Once he's activated, Lee could be a candidate to close for the Wiz with Jae Yoon Kim (6.05 ERA, 1.71 WHIP in 19.1 innings) having struggled in that role so far this season.

Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup

SP - Chad Bell

1. Yong Kyu Lee

2. Soo Kwang Noh

3. Brandon Barnes

4. Tae Kyun Kim

5. Jin Haeng Choi

6. Ju Seok Ha

7. Eun Won Jung

8. Jae Hoon Choi

9. Si Hwan Noh

KT Wiz Expected Lineup

SP - Je Seong Bae

1. Yong Ho Jo

2. Jae Gyun Hwang

3. Mel Rojas

4. Baek Ho Kang

5. Han Joon Yoo

6. Jeong Dae Bae

7. Kyung Soo Park

8. Sung Woo Jang

9. Woo Jun Sim

Top Picks

Mel Rojas, Wiz: Rojas has been one of the best players in the KBO this season, and he should merit serious MVP consideration if he's able to keep this same pace until the end of the campaign. He enters this matchup on a six-game hitting streak and is slashing .500/.588/1.143 in 14 August at-bats.

Baek Ho Kang, Wiz: Kang might have gone 0-for-4 Thursday, but he still has hit safely in seven of the Wiz's last seven games. He is hitting for .294 with seven RBI in that stretch.

Yong Ho Jo, Wiz: Jo hits at the top of the Wiz's order for a reason, and he is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak. He will be dangerous as long as he's able to get on base, something he has done to a .405 clip over his last 10 games.

Je Seong Bae, Wiz: Pitchers aren't always a strong bet for captaincy roles in the KBO, but Bae has been pitching at a strong level and the Eagles have the weakest lineup in the league, so he should merit decent consideration. He has a 4.60 ERA but a 7.4 K/9 in 23 innings over his last four starts.

Captaincy Options

1. Mel Rojas
2. Baek Ho Kang
3. Yong Ho Jo

Dream11 Team

P – Je Seong Bae

C – Hae Chang Lee

IF – Ju Seok Ha

IF – Kyung Soo Park

IF – Kyung Hak Kang

OF – Mel Rojas (C)

OF – Baek Ho Kang (VC)

OF – Yong Ho Jo

OF – Baek Ho Kang