This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
SK Wyverns (3-15) vs Doosan Bears (11-7)
Wednesday, May 27, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Seung Won Moon (0-0, 5.62 ERA) vs LHP Hee Kwan Yoo (1-1, 4.20 ERA)
Game Preview
This Wednesday contest between the Bears and Wyverns is, undoubtedly, the most unbalanced matchup of the day. The Bears have consistently been one of the league's best teams this year and sit in third place with an 11-7 record, while the Wyverns are dead last with just three wins in 18 games after losing 6-4 in the series opener Tuesday. The Bears will aim to start another winning streak by sending Hee Kwan Yoo to the mound. He's struggled of late, but this matchup could be perfect for a bounce-back performance. The Wyverns will counter with Seung Won Moon, who has allowed four or more runs in two of his three starts this season while posting a 5.62 ERA in just 16.0 innings of work.
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – 10-Day IL – Side
May 26 - Doosan manager Tae-hyoung Kim said Tuesday that Oh (side) has resumed hitting off a tee and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh hasn't played since May 20 due to right side pain, but his return from the injured list is seemingly imminent. The slugging first baseman said that if he experiences no issues with his side while swinging during batting practice, he'll likely be reinstated to the roster ahead of Thursday's series
SK Wyverns (3-15) vs Doosan Bears (11-7)
Wednesday, May 27, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Seung Won Moon (0-0, 5.62 ERA) vs LHP Hee Kwan Yoo (1-1, 4.20 ERA)
Game Preview
This Wednesday contest between the Bears and Wyverns is, undoubtedly, the most unbalanced matchup of the day. The Bears have consistently been one of the league's best teams this year and sit in third place with an 11-7 record, while the Wyverns are dead last with just three wins in 18 games after losing 6-4 in the series opener Tuesday. The Bears will aim to start another winning streak by sending Hee Kwan Yoo to the mound. He's struggled of late, but this matchup could be perfect for a bounce-back performance. The Wyverns will counter with Seung Won Moon, who has allowed four or more runs in two of his three starts this season while posting a 5.62 ERA in just 16.0 innings of work.
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – 10-Day IL – Side
May 26 - Doosan manager Tae-hyoung Kim said Tuesday that Oh (side) has resumed hitting off a tee and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh hasn't played since May 20 due to right side pain, but his return from the injured list is seemingly imminent. The slugging first baseman said that if he experiences no issues with his side while swinging during batting practice, he'll likely be reinstated to the roster ahead of Thursday's series finale with SK Wyverns. Prior to getting hurt, Oh was off to a sizzling start to the 2020 campaign, slashing .385/.448/.692 with 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 13 games.
Tae In Chae – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Ribs
May 12 - Chae will be out six weeks with a right intercostal injury, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. Chae has not played frequently for SK this season, but the club will be a bit thin at first base until he recovers from his injury. They should be just fine in his absence, though, as fellow first baseman Jamie Romak has started every game at the position to date.
Dong Min Han – Wyverns – Out – Lower Leg
May 26 - Han will be out 6-to-8 weeks with a microfracture in his right shin bone, according to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net. It did not appear Han suffered a serious injury when he left SK's last game Sunday, but follow-up exams revealed that to actually be the case, and Han will be sidelined until sometime in July.
Chang Pyung Kim – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Shoulder
May 26 - Kim will miss at least a few days with the left shoulder injury he suffered Sunday, according to OSEN. The Wyverns placed Kim on the injured list because KBO rules allow them to bring him back as soon as he is healthy, but he may not be out long, as the team will reevaluate his progress in 3-to-4 days.
Nick Kingham – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Elbow
May 21 - Kingham (elbow) is expected to miss at least two more starts, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The extent of Kingham's injury is uncertain, but it's looking like he will be sidelined at least until some point in June. The Wyverns have not yet announced who will take the ball next time Kingham's spot in the rotation comes up.
Jong Wook Ko – Wyverns – Out – Ankle
May 23 - Ko's recovery from his ankle injury will take longer than expected, and he is now expected to be sidelined until sometime in June, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV News reports. Ko's original recovery timetable gave him a chance to get back on the field before May came to a close, but he will need a bit more time to get back to 100 percent.
Jae Won Lee – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Thumb
May 7 - Lee exited Thursday's 8-4 loss to Hanwha with a fractured right thumb, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. SK Wyverns has yet to announce a timeline for Lee's return. Lee was hitless in his first two at-bats before he sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch in his third plate appearance of the day. SK Wyverns will presumably send Lee in for more tests to determine whether surgery is necessary, but even if he avoids a procedure, he appears likely to miss time on account of the injury. Lee's expected absence further thins a weak KBO catcher pool in which the 32-year-old stood out as one of the top fantasy options coming off a 12-homer, 75-RBI 2019 season. Hyun-seok Lee replaced Jae-won in Thursday's game and would presumably be in store for regular work behind the dish while the latter is sidelined.
SK Wyverns Expected Lineup:
SP - Seung Won Moon
1. Kang Min Kim
3. Jeong Choi
4. Jamie Romak
5. Tae Hyeok Nam
7. Joon Woo Choi
8. Hong Gu Lee
9. Hyun Jeong
Doosan Bears Expected Lineup:
SP - Hee Kwan Yoo
1. Kun Woo Park
4. Jae Hwan Kim
5. Jae Won Oh
6. Jae Ho Kim
7. Se Hyuk Park
Top picks:
Jose Fernandez, Bears: Fernandez should be a popular pick among fantasy managers ahead of this matchup despite the fact he's among the most expensive players in the contest. He went hitless Tuesday but is yet to record two straight contests without a hit this season. He owns a .463 average with two home runs and 11 RBI across his last 10 games.
Jae Hwan Kim, Bears: Fernandez is the top hitter in the slate, but Kim doesn't trail him by much. Doosan's left fielder has hit safely in five of his last six games, giving him a .299/.390/.552 season slash line. He's driven in 17 runs in 17 games so far this season.
Hee Kwan Yoo, Bears: Yoo only costs seven credits – which shouldn't be surprising considering he owns a 2.00 WHIP and a 5:6 K:BB ratio thus far – but he could be in line for a bounce-back performance against one of the weakest offenses in the league. If that wasn't enough, the Wyverns will be without some of their top hitters due to injury, making this a potentially productive outing for the 33-year-old veteran. He's a high-risk, high-reward play.
Soo Kwang Noh, Wyverns: The Wyverns have several dangerous hitters out of the lineup due to injuries, but Noh could be a strong alternative to produce some kind of offense for the underdogs. The center fielder is riding a three-game hitting streak and has hit safely in six of his last seven outings.
Captaincy Options:
2. Jae Hwan Kim
3. Hee Kwan Yoo
Dream11 Team
P – Hee Kwan Yoo
C – Hong Gu Lee
IF – Joo Hwan Choi
IF – Hyun Jeong
IF – Jose Fernandez (C)
OF – Kun Woo Park
OF – Soo Kwang Noh
OF – Soo Bin Jeong
OF – Jae Hwan Kim (VC)
