Seoul: Two players voted as starting players for the South Korean baseball All-Star Game were replaced Thursday due to injuries. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that Samsung Lions starting pitcher Won Tae-in and Lotte Giants second baseman Go Seung-min will not participate in the All-Star Game scheduled for July 12 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, located approximately 140 kilometers south of Seoul. Won is currently sidelined due to upper back tightness, while Go is dealing with an oblique injury.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Won and Go had secured their spots as starters for the Dream All-Star team, representing the Lions, Giants, SSG Landers, KT Wiz, and Doosan Bears, after finishing first in voting conducted by fans and peers for the starting pitcher and second baseman positions, respectively. Their absence has opened the door for the runners-up in these positions to step in as replacements, with Giants starting pitcher Park Se-woong and Lions second baseman Ryu Ji-hyuk set to fill the void left by the injured players.
Park Se-woong, who is stepping in for Won Tae-in, is currently tied for third in the KBO with nine wins and leads all South Korean-born pitchers this season with 93 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Ryu Ji-hyuk, replacing Go Seung-min, boasts a batting average of .286, which marks a potential career high in a full season, along with one home run and 22 RBIs in 76 games.