“It was difficult to bat normally in the aftermath of the NC game due to the sand dunes, so I was removed from the roster.”

Kiwoom Heroes veteran infielder Lee Won-seok (37) has been expunged from the first team roster ahead of the team’s game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on the 9th. Along with Lee, Kiwoom demoted pitcher Choi Won-tae to the second team and recalled starting pitcher Jung Chan-heon and outfielder Park Chan-hyuk.

Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki said the reason was the aftermath of the sand dunes. Lee Won-seok was hit by a ball thrown by pitcher Jeon Jae-min in the fourth inning against the NC Dinos of Gochuk on the 4th. Since then, he has struggled at the plate. He has gone hitless in six at-bats in his last three games, including the fourth.

Hong said, “It’s hard for Lee to bat normally after the dune bomb against NC. I thought it would be helpful for him to fully recover and prepare for the second half of the season, so I removed him from the roster.”

Lee Won-seok became the first non-free agent to sign a multi-year contract in the club’s history on the 28th of last month. Kiwoom gave him a two-year, one-year contract worth a total of 1 billion won. If the option is fulfilled, the contract will be automatically extended by one year until 2026, with a salary of 400 million won in the first year and 300 million won per year thereafter. 메이저토토

Lee Won-seok would have to play until next season to be eligible for free agency again, but the club believed in him and gave him a contract that would allow him to play for up to three years despite being a veteran.

At the time of the signing, Kiwoom head coach Ko Hyung-wook said, “Lee Won-seok, who joined the team as a trade, has quickly integrated into the team and has become the focal point of the batting line-up. He is always sincere and leads by example, setting an example for the juniors. We appreciated his leadership and attitude in guiding the younger players by acting as a reliable big brother. We hope that he will continue to inject positive energy in and out of the dugout.”

Lee would have been eager to repay the club for their continued recognition of his value, acquiring him in a trade in April and signing him to a multi-year contract just two months later. However, the unexpected injury that forced him to end the first half of the season earlier than his teammates must have weighed heavily on his mind. Kiwoom will finish the remaining four games of the first half without Lee Won-seok and will be back to full strength in the second half.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom’s starting line-up for the day is Song Sung-moon (third base), Kim Hye-sung (second base), Lee Jeong-hoo (centre fielder), Kim Woong-bin (designated hitter), Lee Ji-young (catcher), Kim Su-hwan (first base), Park Ju-hong (left fielder), Kim Joo-hyung (shortstop) and Kim Ju-wan (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Chung Chan-heon.