“They said it would be 70-80 pitches.”
Hanwha Eagles right-hander Lee Tae-yang (33) will take the mound for the first time in a four-man rotation. He will start against the NC Dinos in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Changwon NC Park on Saturday and will try not to throw more than 80 pitches.
Until his last start against the Doosan Bears in Daejeon on April 11, Lee had been pitching out of the bullpen. The fourth and fifth starters, excluding Ricardo Sanchez, Felix Peña, and Moon Dong-joo, have been a constant source of anxiety. Choi eventually decided to send Han Seung-hyuk and Jang Min-jae, who were the fourth and fifth starters, down to the second team, leaving the starting duties to Lee Tae-yang and rookie Kim Seo-hyun. Kim Seo-hyun is scheduled to start against Changwon NC on the 17th.
Lee Tae-yang has been on the mound twice this year as a substitute starter. On April 23 against the LG Twins in Daejeon, he threw two innings of two-hit ball with three strikeouts, and on May 20 against the LG Electronics in Jamsil, he threw 3⅔ innings of one-hit ball with one walk and two strikeouts. In both games, he used the first pitcher’s concept and did not throw long innings, but his pitches were all good.
Before the game, Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “Lee Tae-yang threw 58 pitches, which is the highest number of pitches. Both the training staff and the player himself said that after throwing today (the 16th), he will be given a rest day, so he can go up to 70-80 pitches. Even if he throws well, he should stop within 80 pitches. He expressed his desire to throw only five pitches.”
Now that he’s a fixed starter and has plenty of rest, he’s looking forward to throwing his pitches and coming down. “Before, I didn’t have four or five days off, and I had to calculate two or three days off at the most, so I couldn’t throw that long. If I throw today, I’ll have five days off, so I’ll be able to throw 70 to 80 pitches,” Choi said, hoping to lead the team to its third straight win.먹튀검증
Lee is also an experienced starter. In 102 career starts, he has a 24-37 record, 502⅔ innings pitched, and a 5.26 ERA.
Now a veteran, Lee signed a four-year, $2.5 billion contract with Chinjeong Hanwha before this season. In 40 games this season, he anchored the pitching staff with one win, two holds, 55⅔ innings pitched, and a 2.43 ERA. Can Lee take over the starting duties in a hurry and become a free agent success story?