Kiwoom Heroes’ Chung Chan-heon (33) will take the mound for the first time after four days of rest as the team looks to snap a four-game losing streak.
Chung will take the mound against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 28.
Kiwoom has been in a slump lately, losing four straight games. In the last game against Lotte on April 27, the team rallied late, but ultimately lost 5-6. With the team in dire straits, fifth starter Jung Chan-heon’s shoulders are heavy. Jung is 1-3 with a 3.27 ERA in four starts (22 innings) this season. In his last start, he earned his first win of the season against KT, throwing six innings of three-hit ball with one walk and three strikeouts.
Chung started the season in the second team. He was unable to find a team after declaring free agency last season, so he trained privately and only signed with Kiwoom after the exhibition games. He made his first competitive start in the Futures League on March 14, and with Jang Jae-young, Lee Seung-ho, and other top five candidates all underperforming, his opportunity to start came sooner than expected, and he quickly earned a spot in the starting five with his impressive pitching.
After undergoing surgery for a back injury in 2019, Jeong has worked his way into the starting rotation with steady management. At LG, he was in a 10-day rotation with Lee Min-ho, and even in Kiwoom, he was guaranteed at least five to six days of rest.
This season, however, he plans to pitch in the starting rotation normally without such management. On the 23rd, Jung Chan-heon pitched against KT for the first time in a long time on four days’ rest. In a postgame interview, Jung said, “I think it’s the first time I’ve started after four days of rest since I was a rookie. I keep saying to (Lee) Ji-young, ‘Don’t think about it. ‘Don’t think too hard. I’m a demanding type of pitcher, so let’s prepare the same way we always do. 안전놀이터 I think I’ll prepare for the next game like that,” he said, talking about his mindset in preparing to pitch after four days of rest.
Manager Hong Won-ki said in an interview on the 24th, “We replaced Chung Chan-heon because of his pitch count (69 pitches) on Sunday. Fortunately, he pitched well until the sixth inning with fewer pitches. It was his first time pitching after four days of rest after being converted from the bullpen to the starting rotation, so I don’t think his previous record means much. He was a late addition to the team, but he should be a legitimate part of the starting rotation now. Still, it’s the last game of the weekend, so we’re going to have a different game plan, including using the bullpen a little early.”