Seoul: With one pitcher on a comeback trail from an injury and another about to be discharged from mandatory military service, the LG Twins will receive much-needed reinforcements in their bullpen. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb said Thursday left-hander Ham Deok-ju, following an offseason elbow surgery, will pitch in a couple of games in the minors, and if all goes well, he will be back with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club by next weekend. Righty reliever Yi Jung-yong is scheduled to be discharged from the Army next Tuesday, and Youm said Yi will join the Twins the following day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Youm expressed optimism about the return of these key players, stating, “When those two guys come back, our bullpen will be in better shape.” He shared this sentiment with reporters before the game against the SSG Landers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, highlighting the current strain on the bullpen. “We have too many pitchers who work every other day now,” Youm added with a wry smile.
The team has been managing a series of injuries, which has limited the use of some key relievers on consecutive days. Closer You Young-chan, for instance, made his 2025 season debut on June 1 following elbow surgery but has not pitched since Sunday due to neck tightness. Consequently, he was unavailable for Thursday’s game.
Setup man Jang Hyun-sik also faced limitations, having pitched 1 1/3 innings on Wednesday, matching his season high, which rendered him unavailable for Thursday. Additionally, reliever Kim Kang-ryul has been sidelined for a month with shoulder issues and is not expected to return until the second half of the season.
Despite these challenges, the impending return of Ham and Yi, both experienced in high-leverage situations, is expected to bolster the bullpen. The team has impressively maintained the second-lowest bullpen ERA at 3.51 despite the setbacks.
“The guys that have been around have done a great job so far,” remarked Youm, whose team currently leads the standings with a 39-26-1 record. He emphasized the importance of having multiple options available, stating, “The more relievers we have on hand, the better. It’s just nice to have a lot of options available, because not every one of them is guaranteed to pitch well.”