Hanwha right-hander Jang Ji-soo, 23, has been demoted to the second team after six days without throwing a ball since his first-team call-up.
Hanwha removed pitchers Nam Ji-min and Jang Ji-su from the first team roster after three days without a game. Nam Ji-min hasn’t been great since being called up to the first team on March 18, going 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA in four games, including struggling with three runs on four hits in one inning at Daegu Samsung Electronics on March 2.
Jang Ji-soo, who was called up to the first team along with pitcher Park Joon-young on March 27, was sent back down six days later after not throwing a single pitch. In the interim, Hanwha played five games and Jang did not get a chance to pitch once.
Last week, Hanwha went 4-1 on its eight-game winning streak for the first time in 18 years. On the second day of the streak, they lost 1-2 in Daegu to Samsung Electronics. In both games, the bullpen was centered around the closer. The timing was not right for Jang Ji-soo to take the mound.
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “We added one more pitcher to the roster and the game was canceled. (There was no time for Nam Ji-min, Park Joon-young, and Jang Ji-soo to go out there because there was no game with a big score,” he said.
On the 30th and 1st, Daegu Samsung won 6-1 and 10-4, respectively, but in the 30th game, starter Han Seung-ju, whose time between appearances was lengthened by rain, was brought in in the ninth inning to check his physical condition. Nam Ji-min, who had rested for seven days in the first game, was given the chance to pitch in the ninth inning.
Jang Ji-soo didn’t get a chance to pitch and ended up going back to the second team without throwing a single ball. This is what happens when a team is playing so well. It’s very disappointing for the individual players, but for the team, it’s a testament to their strength.
Selected by KIA with the 20th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 KBO Draft from Seongnam High School, Jang Ji-soo completed his military service with the Merchant Marine and donned a Hanwha uniform in a trade last November. Along with pitcher Han Seung-hyuk, he was expected to be the bullpen arm opposite infielder Byun Woo-hyuk.안전놀이터
In 18 games (22⅔ innings) in the Futures League this year, Seung-hyuk has pitched in relief, posting a 2-1 record with four saves and a 3.18 ERA. His only appearance with the first team came on April 16 against the Suwon KT. He came in as the third pitcher in the bottom of the fourth inning, trailing 0-7, and gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks in 2.2 innings. He was sent down to the second team the next day and received his first call-up in 71 days.
Meanwhile, right-hander Park Jun-young, who was called up to the first team the same day as Jang Ji-soo but did not pitch, remained on the roster. Park, who has been in the starting rotation for the Futures since mid-May, is a long-inning reliever. Hanwha will start Han Seung-hyuk and Han Seung-ju against Lotte in Daejeon on April 5. They will be used as long relief in case the two pitchers go down early.