The Samsung Lions, who have fallen to the bottom of the standings, have decided to remove second baseman Kim Ji-chan from the first team roster. Although there is no problem with his physical condition such as injury, the team decided that he cannot play in his current mental state.
Samsung registered left-hander Heo Yoon-dong on the first team roster and moved infielder Kim Ji-chan to the second team ahead of the rainout of the ninth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Monday.
Heo was selected to replace veteran left-hander Baek Jung-hyun, who left the game with elbow pain. The move to the first team was a necessary one.
Samsung manager Park Jin-man had planned to remove one of his pitchers from the roster if Heo Yoon-dong was designated for assignment, but he didn’t want it to be Kim Ji-chan. However, he felt that Kim Ji-chan needed some time to rest.
Kim Ji-chan had started at second base the day before, but he didn’t do a great job, committing three errors on his own. In the bottom of the fourth inning, when Samsung took a 5-1 lead, Kim made back-to-back throwing errors.
Samsung blew a four-run lead in the aftermath of Kim Ji-chan’s error and eventually fell to a 6-9 defeat, their second straight loss. With a four-game gap to the ninth-place Hanwha Eagles, the team’s chances of catching up before the All-Star break in the middle of next month have become more difficult.
“Kim Ji-chan was shaky, not just the day before, and there was a similar situation a few days ago,” Park Jin-man said, “so I took him out of the lineup because he seemed to be shaking from the inside out.”
He also said, “I don’t think Kim Ji-chan is ready to play right now. There are things that are more psychological than technical,” he said, emphasizing, “I think he might feel more pressure to play, so he needs to organize his mind first.”온라인카지노
Kim was batting .290 (60-for-207) with one home run, 10 RBIs, nine doubles and a .727 OPS in 60 games this season. His on-base percentage (.398) was the highest among the team’s regulars, and his slugging percentage was second only to Kang Min-ho. Kim Ji-chan’s contribution to the offense was significant.
However, Park Jin-man decided to go without him for at least 10 days. He doesn’t have a timetable for Kim’s return to the first team and wants him to make a full recovery.
“There is no set date for when Kim Ji-chan will return,” Park said, adding, “He has to get through it well.”
