This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
SK Wyverns (31-59-1) at Lotte Giants (44-41-1)
Wednesday, August 26th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Seung Geon Baek (0-4, 7.71 ERA) vs RHP Se Woong Park (6-5, 4.58 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants are in the mix of teams that are looking to finish in third place of the standings but are just three games over the .500 mark, so they still have a lot of work to do ahead of the final weeks of the campaign. The scenario couldn't be any more different for the Wyverns, as they've lost 59 games to date and sit near the bottom of the standings – which is surprising considering what they accomplished in 2019. The Wyverns are clearly thinking about 2021 and beyond. The pitching matchup also favors the Giants, as Se Woong Park has far better numbers than Seung Geon Baek across the entire season. Park has a 4.58 ERA, while Baek's ERA is at 7.71 so far.
Injuries
Lotte Giants
Seung Heon Lee - 10-Day IL - Forehead
6/16 9:13 PM IST - Lee (forehead) was cleared to resume working out with the Giants on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reports. Lee has been on the shelf since May 17, when he was removed from his start against Hanwha after taking a line drive to the forehead. The right-hander was diagnosed with a microfracture in his forehead, but he was fortunate to avoid surgery and looks to have progressed well in his recovery over the past month. Lee expects to
SK Wyverns (31-59-1) at Lotte Giants (44-41-1)
Wednesday, August 26th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Seung Geon Baek (0-4, 7.71 ERA) vs RHP Se Woong Park (6-5, 4.58 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants are in the mix of teams that are looking to finish in third place of the standings but are just three games over the .500 mark, so they still have a lot of work to do ahead of the final weeks of the campaign. The scenario couldn't be any more different for the Wyverns, as they've lost 59 games to date and sit near the bottom of the standings – which is surprising considering what they accomplished in 2019. The Wyverns are clearly thinking about 2021 and beyond. The pitching matchup also favors the Giants, as Se Woong Park has far better numbers than Seung Geon Baek across the entire season. Park has a 4.58 ERA, while Baek's ERA is at 7.71 so far.
Injuries
Lotte Giants
Seung Heon Lee - 10-Day IL - Forehead
6/16 9:13 PM IST - Lee (forehead) was cleared to resume working out with the Giants on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reports. Lee has been on the shelf since May 17, when he was removed from his start against Hanwha after taking a line drive to the forehead. The right-hander was diagnosed with a microfracture in his forehead, but he was fortunate to avoid surgery and looks to have progressed well in his recovery over the past month. Lee expects to increase the intensity of his workouts over the next several days, but it's uncertain when or if he'll return to the Giants' active roster. The Giants no longer have an opening in the rotation for Lee with Adrian Sampson having since rejoined the team in May after completing his quarantine upon returning from North America.
Byung Hun Min - 10-Day IL - Back
8/25 3:43 PM IST - Min was placed on the injured list Tuesday with a back injury, In Ha Kwon of Sports Chosun reports. It remains unclear how much time the 33-year-old will miss. Backup outfielder Jae Yoo Kim is starting Tuesday and looks to cover for Min until he returns fully healthy.
SK Wyverns
Joon Woo Choi - Out - Not Injury Related
8/24 9:30 PM IST - Choi was removed from the Wyverns' roster Monday, according to OSEN. Choi has been the Wyverns' primary second baseman for most of the season, but he ceded those duties to Hang Choi of late, so the club presumably sent him down in order to get regular at-bats.
Jae Hoon Ha - Out - Shoulder
8/10 4:56 PM IST - Ha will miss two months with an injury to his right shoulder, In Ha Kwon of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The reigning saves champion suffered another setback during a relief appearance for SK's Futures League team Friday. He now needs two more months to recover despite being on the verge of returning from an undisclosed injury. Ha's season is likely over, with a 7.62 ERA and just four saves this year.
Jin Gi Jeong - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
6/16 3:31 PM IST - Jeong is not in Tuesday's lineup versus KT, MyKBOStats.com reports. The 27-year-old will be left out as the Wyverns rotate their outfield once more. Jeong hit .156 through the first two weeks of June.
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
7/8 10:43 PM IST - Kim (shoulder) is playing in Futures League games, according to Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV. Kim did not return in late June as expected, but considering he's at least seeing game action, it shouldn't be long until he is deemed ready to rejoin SK's top club.
Tyler White - Day-To-Day - Finger
8/25 11:17 PM IST - White left Tuesday's game against the Giants after being hit by a pitch on his right index finger, according to chosun.com. White apparently wanted to continue playing, but interim manager Kyung Wan Park decided it would be best to give him the rest of the game off. It remains to be seen if he will take the field for SK's next game Wednesday.
Lotte Giants Expected Lineup
SP - Se Woong Park
1. Hoon Jung
2. Ah Seop Son
3. Jun Woo Jeon
4. Dae Ho Lee
5. Dong Hee Han
7. Chi Hong An
8. Jae Yoo Kim
9. Bo Geun Jung
SK Wyverns Expected Lineup
SP - Seung Geon Baek
1. Ji Hoon Choi
2. Jong Wook Ko
3. Jeong Choi
4. Dong Min Han
5. Jamie Romak
6. Tyler White
7. Hang Choi
Top Picks From Each Team
Dixon Machado, Giants: Machado went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Tuesday's loss against the Wyverns. Machado has been one of the most consistent players in the Giants lineup in recent days, and he has racked up hits in five of the team's last six games, notching two multi-hit efforts in that span. He is hitting .308 with a .822 OPS, seven homers, 46 RBI and 10 stolen bases this season.
Jeong Choi, Wyverns: Choi has been the Wyverns' biggest offensive threat all season long, but his numbers have not been very solid this month – compared to what he's done in past weeks, that is. He is hitting .246 but has a stellar .388 OBP and a .912 OPS with five homers and 19 RBI this month.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Se Woong Park
C – Bo Geun Jung
IF – Jeong Choi (VC)
IF – Jamie Romak
IF – Dixon Machado (C)
IF – Dae Ho Lee
OF – Hoon Jung
OF – Kyung Ho Kim
OF – Ah Seop Son
