This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Hanwha Eagles (26-67-1) at Doosan Bears (52-41-3)
Tuesday, September 1st, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Shi Hwan Jang (3-9, 4.63 ERA) vs RHP Raul Alcantara (10-2, 3.04 ERA)
Game Preview
The Eagles are already planning what they will do in the 2021 KBO season and, barring an epic comeback in the final weeks of the regular season, they will end in last place of the standings – they have won just 26 of the 94 games they have played in 2020. The Bears are in the opposite end of the spectrum, as they sit in fourth place of the standings and remain very much alive in the race for a playoff spot. However, they have been struggling of late in terms of consistency and have gone 5-4-1 over their last 10 games. The pitching matchup shows the Bears have a sizable edge with Raul Alcantara, one of the most consistent pitchers in the KBO, on the mound – he has 10 wins and a 3.04 ERA this season. The Eagles will counter with Shi Hwan Jang, who has a 4.63 ERA in the current campaign.
Injuries
Doosan Bears
Sang Ho Chung - 10-Day IL - Hand
8/20 10:50 PM IST - Chung was removed from Thursday's game against the Giants with a bruised left hand, according to OSEN. Chung was struck on the hand while catching in the third inning and was unable to continue. It remains to be seen if the injury will cost him
Hanwha Eagles (26-67-1) at Doosan Bears (52-41-3)
Tuesday, September 1st, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Shi Hwan Jang (3-9, 4.63 ERA) vs RHP Raul Alcantara (10-2, 3.04 ERA)
Game Preview
The Eagles are already planning what they will do in the 2021 KBO season and, barring an epic comeback in the final weeks of the regular season, they will end in last place of the standings – they have won just 26 of the 94 games they have played in 2020. The Bears are in the opposite end of the spectrum, as they sit in fourth place of the standings and remain very much alive in the race for a playoff spot. However, they have been struggling of late in terms of consistency and have gone 5-4-1 over their last 10 games. The pitching matchup shows the Bears have a sizable edge with Raul Alcantara, one of the most consistent pitchers in the KBO, on the mound – he has 10 wins and a 3.04 ERA this season. The Eagles will counter with Shi Hwan Jang, who has a 4.63 ERA in the current campaign.
Injuries
Doosan Bears
Sang Ho Chung - 10-Day IL - Hand
8/20 10:50 PM IST - Chung was removed from Thursday's game against the Giants with a bruised left hand, according to OSEN. Chung was struck on the hand while catching in the third inning and was unable to continue. It remains to be seen if the injury will cost him more time.
Chris Flexen - Out - Foot
8/17 10:03 PM IST - Flexen (foot) is not expected to pitch again until September at the earliest, according to chosun.com. Flexen continues to work his way back from a broken foot, and it looks like he still has several steps to go in his recovery.
Duk Joo Ham - Out - Not Injury Related
8/21 2:01 PM IST - Ham was sent down by the Bears on Friday, Ik Rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo reports. It is unclear as to why the southpaw lasted just one day with Doosan since returning from an elbow injury. Ham faced two batters during Thursday's 6-5 loss against Lotte.
Yong Chan Lee - Out - Elbow
6/4 2:49 PM IST - Lee will undergo Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss at least a year, Daniel Kim of DKTV reports. Lee has started regularly for Doosan since 2018, but his 2020 season will come to an early and abrupt end as a result of his elbow injury. It remains to be seen who will enter the rotation in Lee's place, as the Giants have only needed five starting pitchers to date.
Jae Won Oh - 10-Day IL - Back
8/19 10:13 PM IST - Oh is dealing with a sore back and will undergo tests to determine the extent of his injury, according to Ik Rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo. The extent of Oh's injury is not yet known, but the Bears figure to release an update on his status after he is checked out by doctors.
Hanwha Eagles
Eun Won Jung - Out - Wrist
8/15 2:49 PM IST - Jung will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a dislocated left wrist, Sang Hak Lee of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The injury came when he was hit by a David Buchanan pitch on Friday. It could mean Jung misses the rest of the season, putting another damper on Hanwha's horrific year. Jung his hitting .248 across 254 at-bats.
Bum Soo Kim - Out - Hip
8/17 10:10 PM IST - A target date for Kim (hip) to return to action has not been established, according to OSEN. Kim has not pitched this month as a result of his injury, and while the report seems to indicate he could return at some point, it remains to be seen if and when that will occur.
Tae Kyun Kim - Out - Elbow
8/16 2:47 PM IST - Kim was removed from the Eagles' first-group entry Sunday with left elbow inflammation, according to the Yonhap News Agency. Hanwha reportedly demoted the 38-year-old instead of placing him on the injured list. Tae Hyung No joined Hanwha's first team Sunday. Kim struggled by going hitless through his last 16 at-bats.
Jung Rak Shin - Out - Illness
8/31 8:13 PM IST - Shin revealed Monday that he recently tested positive for COVID-19, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency reports. Shin becomes the first known KBO player to have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the season. The reliever has posted a 9.00 ERA and 1.83 WHP over 12 innings out of the Hanwha bullpen this season, but he hadn't appeared for the big club since June 27 after being assigned to the Futures League. Before he's cleared to pitch again in the minors, Shin will need to complete a mandatory quarantine process that will include multiple negative test results.
Doosan Bears Expected Lineup
SP - Raul Alcantara
1. Kun Woo Park
3. Jae Il Oh
4. Jae Hwan Kim
7. Soo Bin Jung
8. Jae Ho Kim
9. Se Hyuk Park
Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup
SP - Shi Hwan Jang
1. Yong Kyu Lee
3. Ju Seok Ha
5. Si Hwan Noh
9. Tae Hyung No
Top Picks From Each Team
Jose Fernandez, Bears: Fernandez went 1-for-7 during Sunday's doubleheader against the LG Twins, but that shouldn't take anything away from what he's done in 2020. The star slugger ended August with a .365/.415/.462 slash line, a .877 OPS and two homers, while also racking up 22 RBI in that month. His impressive offensive performances are the biggest reason why the Bears remain alive in the playoff race.
Brandon Barnes, Eagles: Barnes debuted for the Eagles in mid-July and showed some interesting things, but he has been seeing the ball extremely well since returning from the injury list August 21 – since then, the slugger has hit .276 with five RBI. Those numbers do not stand out, but they look productive in a depleted Eagles offense.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Raul Alcantara
C – Se Hyuk Park
IF – Jose Fernandez (C)
IF – Jae Il Oh (VC)
OF – Jae Hwan Kim
OF – Soo Kwang Noh
OF – Soo Bin Jung
OF – Jin Haeng Choi
OF – Brandon Barnes