Samsung and KIA Tigers sent Kim Dong-yeop and Hong Jong-pyo down to the second division

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced the status of registration and cancellation of the first-tier entry on the 4th. Eight clubs, including the Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants, where the game was held on the day, did not change their entries, while Samsung and KIA Tigers sent Kim Dong-yeop and Hong Jong-pyo down to the second division, respectively.

In the first division this season, Kim Dong-yeop has a batting average of 0.264 with 5 home runs and 18 RBIs with an OPS of 0.738 in 140 at-bats in 58 games. Most of them played as substitutes without any significant performance, and it was not easy to survive among young outfielders such as Kim Sung-yoon and Kim Hyun-joon. 스포츠토토

As there is no special reason for cancellation such as injury, the failure to show competitiveness eventually led to the cancellation of the first-tier entry. In an away game against the KT Wiz on the 31st of last month, he came out of the top of the ninth inning with one out and first base when the team was being dragged 4-6 and hit Kim Jae-yoon’s first pitch, and the game ended as it was. Since then, in the three consecutive games against the NC Dinos in Daegu from the 1st to the 3rd, he failed to meet the expectations of the head coach as he only had two strikeouts in three at-bats without a hit.

Kim Dong-yeop, who hit 20 home runs for Samsung in 2020 following 2017-2018 when he was with the SK Wyverns (currently SSG Landers), has only four home runs and two home runs in the following two seasons, respectively, and has not produced as many home runs as expected this year.

Samsung is expected to call up a player in the second division to fill Kim Dong-yeop’s vacancy ahead of the Ulsan Lotte match on the 5th. Considering poor mound conditions such as Baek Jung-hyun’s injury, the possibility of filling pitcher resources is also open, and on the contrary, entry registration can be made in the same position.

Kim Sang-min, who has the best second-tier performance among outfielders in the team this season, may be called for the first time in a long time, or there is a possibility of a call-up by “veteran” Kim Heon-gon.

Kim Heon-gon, who devoted himself to recovery after his injury, has been playing the Futures League since the end of last month, and he recorded one hit and one steal in four at-bats in the KIA Tigers match on the 3rd, the most recent game. Currently, his performance in the Futures League is 3 hits and 1 RBI in 16 at-bats in 5 games with a batting average of 0.1881 stolen bases and 2 walks.

Meanwhile, KIA infielder Hong Jong-pyo also went down to the second division. In the first division this season, he mainly played as a substitute in the middle and second half of the game, and has no hits, three walks, and eight points in seven at-bats.