This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Hanwha Eagles (7-15) vs SK Wyverns (5-16)
Saturday, May 30, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Shi Hwan Jang (1-2, 7.20 ERA) vs RHP Ricardo Pinto (1-2, 4.76 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns and the Eagles sit at the bottom of the KBO standings with records of 5-16 and 7-15, respectively, though they've been trending in opposite directions lately. While the Wyverns enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak following their 8-6 win over Hanwha on Friday, the Eagles are coming off six straight losses. The Wyverns will send Ricardo Pinto to the mound as they try to win three in a row for the first time this season. The 26-year-old is coming off his best performance of the season, as he allowed one earned run in seven innings against the Tigers on May 24. The Eagles will counter with Shi Hwan Jang, a 32-year-old veteran who has struggled this season. Jang has a 7.20 ERA through four starts and has allowed at least four runs in each of his last three outings.
Injuries
Ju Seok Ha – Eagles – 10-Day IL - Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Ha will be sidelined for four weeks with right thigh muscle pain, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The club also announced that Sun Jin Oh would require about four weeks of rehab after he and Ha were both diagnosed with thigh injuries following Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants. Ha's loss is a significant one
Hanwha Eagles (7-15) vs SK Wyverns (5-16)
Saturday, May 30, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Shi Hwan Jang (1-2, 7.20 ERA) vs RHP Ricardo Pinto (1-2, 4.76 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns and the Eagles sit at the bottom of the KBO standings with records of 5-16 and 7-15, respectively, though they've been trending in opposite directions lately. While the Wyverns enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak following their 8-6 win over Hanwha on Friday, the Eagles are coming off six straight losses. The Wyverns will send Ricardo Pinto to the mound as they try to win three in a row for the first time this season. The 26-year-old is coming off his best performance of the season, as he allowed one earned run in seven innings against the Tigers on May 24. The Eagles will counter with Shi Hwan Jang, a 32-year-old veteran who has struggled this season. Jang has a 7.20 ERA through four starts and has allowed at least four runs in each of his last three outings.
Injuries
Ju Seok Ha – Eagles – 10-Day IL - Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Ha will be sidelined for four weeks with right thigh muscle pain, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The club also announced that Sun Jin Oh would require about four weeks of rehab after he and Ha were both diagnosed with thigh injuries following Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants. Ha's loss is a significant one for the Eagles, as he slashed .333/.349/.405 with seven RBI through 12 games. With Oh's injury further thinning the Eagles' depth in the infield, Si Hwan Noh looks to be the next man up to slot in as the club's everyday shortstop.
Sun Jin Oh – Eagles – 10-Day IL - Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Oh would be sidelined for four weeks due to a right thigh injury, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh's absence from the lineup in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants was believed to be a routine off day, but the Eagles were apparently evaluating him for an injury that he picked up the previous day. Doctors determined Oh was dealing with damage to the medial muscle of his right thigh, an injury that will keep him on the shelf through at least mid-June. Teammate Ju Seok Ha picked up the same injury in Sunday's game and will also be sidelined for at least four weeks, leaving the Eagles supremely thin in the infield. Oh has been the Eagles' top hitter so far during the young season, slashing .346/.357/.538 with a home run and five RBI over his 28 plate appearances.
Tae In Chae – Wyverns – 10-Day IL - Ribs
May 12 - Chae will be out six weeks with a right intercostal injury, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. Chae has not played frequently for SK this season, but the club will be a bit thin at first base until he recovers from his injury. They should be just fine in his absence, though, as fellow first baseman Jamie Romak has started every game at the position to date.
Dong Min Han – Wyverns – 10-Day IL - Lower Leg
May 29 - Han's shin injury is not as serious as originally thought, so he will return sooner than the original 6-to-8 week timetable, Jae-geun Jeong of Sportschosun.com reports. He was first diagnosed with a microfracture in his right shin bone, but the Wyverns are now saying that Han is out indefinitely with a bruise.
Chang Pyung Kim – Wyverns – 10-Day IL - Shoulder
May 26 - Kim will miss at least a few days with the left shoulder injury he suffered Sunday, according to OSEN. The Wyverns placed Kim on the injured list because KBO rules allow them to bring him back as soon as he is healthy, but he may not be out long, as the team will reevaluate his progress in 3-to-4 days.
Nick Kingham – Wyverns – 10-Day IL - Elbow
May 21 - Kingham (elbow) is expected to miss at least two more starts, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The extent of Kingham's injury is uncertain, but it's looking like he will be sidelined at least until some point in June. The Wyverns have not yet announced who will take the ball next time Kingham's spot in the rotation comes up.
Jong Wook Ko – Wyverns – Out - Ankle
May 23 - Ko's recovery from his ankle injury will take longer than expected, and he is now expected to be sidelined until sometime in June, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV News reports. Ko's original recovery timetable gave him a chance to get back on the field before May came to a close, but he will need a bit more time to get back to 100 percent.
Jae Won Lee – Wyverns – 10-Day IL - Thumb
May 7 - Lee exited Thursday's 8-4 loss to Hanwha with a fractured right thumb, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. SK Wyverns has yet to announce a timeline for Lee's return. Lee was hitless in his first two at-bats before he sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch in his third plate appearance of the day. SK Wyverns will presumably send Lee in for more tests to determine whether surgery is necessary, but even if he avoids a procedure, he appears likely to miss time on account of the injury. Lee's expected absence further thins a weak KBO catcher pool in which the 32-year-old stood out as one of the top fantasy options coming off a 12-homer, 75-RBI 2019 season. Hyun-seok Lee replaced Jae-won in Thursday's game and would presumably be in store for regular work behind the dish while the latter is sidelined.
Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup:
SP - Shi Hwan Jang
1. Eun Won Jung
2. Jin Ho Jeong
3. Moon Ho Kim
4. Jared Hoying
8. Si Hwan Noh
9. Yong-Kyu Lee
SK Wyverns Expected Lineup:
SP - Ricardo Pinto
2. Ji Hoon Choi
3. Jeong Choi
4. Jamie Romak
5. Jin Gi Jeong
8. Hong Gu Lee
9. Hyun Jeong
Top picks:
Jeong Choi, Wyverns: Choi is one of the most expensive players on the slate at 16 credits and is hitting just .191 this season, but he's tied for the team lead in both home runs (two) and RBI (nine). The veteran slugger has recorded multi-hit games in three of his last four contests.
Moon Ho Kim, Eagles: Kim only costs nine credits, making him a value pick as he's been one of the team's best hitters throughout the season. He has just one hit in his last nine at-bats, but he enters this game sporting a .270/.341/.459 overall slash line.
Ricardo Pinto, Wyverns: There's not much of a difference between the starting pitchers ahead of this matchup since neither option looks particularly dominant. Pinto, however, gets the nod. Despite costing 14 credits to Jang's 8.5, he's coming off a strong performance while Jang has been roughed up in each of his last three starts. Plus, the Eagles have not been hitting the ball well of late.
Soo Kwang Noh, Wyverns: Noh enters this game on a six-game hitting streak and has posted four multi-hit performances over that stretch. He owns a stellar .448 on-base percentage at the top of the Wyverns' lineup during his hot streak.
Captaincy Options:
1. Jeong Choi
2. Moon Ho Kim
Dream11 Team
P – Ricardo Pinto
C – Hong Gu Lee
IF – Jeong Choi (C)
IF – Si Hwan Noh
IF – Jamie Romak
OF – Jin Gi Jeong
OF – Soo Kwang Noh
OF – Jin Ho Jeong
OF – Moon Ho Kim (VC)
