The Hanwha Eagles have fallen to ninth place in the Korean Baseball Organization, and their batting lineup has lost its vigor. Could Lee Myung-ki (37), a "three-hit hitter" in his career, be a revitalizing force?
Lee Myung-ki was called up to the first team for the first time this season ahead of a game against the Lotte Giants on July 7 at Sajik Stadium in Busan. He was joined by pitcher Han Seung-joo. In addition to Lee and Han, outfielder Lee Jin-young and pitcher Lee Tae-yang were called up from the first team.
Lee Myung-ki switched from NC to Hanwha last year in a sign-and-trade deal. The deal was worth up to 100 million won per year. The team barely survived the 'free agent' crisis.
However, the bad news came not long after the start of the season. On April 7, 2023, Lee sprained his ankle while stealing a base against SSG in Daejeon. After a medical examination, he was diagnosed with a fracture of the distal end of his right fibula and was put on the operating table. It was a major injury that took four to five months to rehabilitate.
He returned in October, but was not at full strength. 카지노사이트 He ended the season last year with a 1.17-for-5 record (7-for-40), five RBIs and two runs scored in 14 games.
But the lingering effects of the ankle injury were long-lasting. Lee was unable to participate in the first team's spring training and was unable to improve his condition. He started the season in the second team, where he regained his form. In the second team, he hit well, going 3-for-8 (16-for-52) with three RBIs and two runs scored in 17 games, and he joined the first team.
Choi Won-ho said, "We are trying to increase Jung's frequency in the middle infield. However, Lee Jin-young is still in the first team with a very bad batting average, so he was sent down. For the time being, we're going to send Jung Eun-won to center field and give Lee Jin-young time to recover his batting feeling." "We have Kim Tae-yeon as a right-handed substitute, but we don't have a left-handed substitute, so we're going to use Lee Myung-ki as a left-handed substitute. In the second team, we also trained in the middle infield. He will also start in center field when Jung Eun-won and Choi In-ho are trying to rest," he explained.
"He has a good contact ability, so we promoted Lee Myung-ki, who reported that he is 100 percent, to the first team."
Drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 second round by SK (now SSG), Lee is a career third baseman. In 1033 games, he has a batting average of .355 (1104 hits in 3617 at-bats). He is a contact hitter who ranks 18th on the all-time batting average list with more than 3,000 at-bats.
Currently, the Hanwha batting lineup has been quiet. They are 10th in the league with a team batting average of 2.525 and ninth with a team OPS of .731. Jose Peraza, who led the team to a seven-game winning streak at the start of the season, hasn't been as consistent as he was earlier in the season. The veterans who have to step up are Chae Eun-sung (.206 batting average, .573 OPS) and Ahn Chi-hong (.256 batting average, .683 OPS). It will be interesting to see if Lee Myung-ki can revitalize the batting order in his limited opportunities.