This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Kiwoom Heroes (37-26) at SK Wyverns (19-43)
Friday, July 17th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Seung Ho Lee (2-4, 5.90 ERA) vs RHP Joo Han Kim (0-5, 6.53 ERA)
Game Preview
The Heroes and the Wyverns enter this matchup riding opposite runs of form, as the Heroes remain one of the best teams in the league while the Wyverns might already be thinking about the 2021 season. Kiwoom are coming off a loss in their most recent game, however, and have gone just 4-6 in their last 10 contests – as a result, they have fallen to third place in the standings while sitting five games away from the Dinos, who lead the league comfortably. As for the Wyverns, they have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games and have lost their past two contests – they also own a slim two-game lead over the Hanwha Eagles in the race to avoid the last place of the standings. The pitching matchup does not offer very attractive alternatives, although Seung Ho Lee's 5.90 ERA looks far better than Joo Han Kim's 6.53 mark, especially if we considering the Heroes have a far stronger lineup compared to the Wyverns one.
Injuries
Heroes
Won Tae Choi - Out - Not Injury Related
7/11 11:06 PM IST - Choi was removed from the Heroes' roster Saturday, according to Soo Jin Park of Star News. Choi posted a 3.68 ERA over his first 10 starts of the season, but he allowed 11
Kiwoom Heroes (37-26) at SK Wyverns (19-43)
Friday, July 17th, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Seung Ho Lee (2-4, 5.90 ERA) vs RHP Joo Han Kim (0-5, 6.53 ERA)
Game Preview
The Heroes and the Wyverns enter this matchup riding opposite runs of form, as the Heroes remain one of the best teams in the league while the Wyverns might already be thinking about the 2021 season. Kiwoom are coming off a loss in their most recent game, however, and have gone just 4-6 in their last 10 contests – as a result, they have fallen to third place in the standings while sitting five games away from the Dinos, who lead the league comfortably. As for the Wyverns, they have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games and have lost their past two contests – they also own a slim two-game lead over the Hanwha Eagles in the race to avoid the last place of the standings. The pitching matchup does not offer very attractive alternatives, although Seung Ho Lee's 5.90 ERA looks far better than Joo Han Kim's 6.53 mark, especially if we considering the Heroes have a far stronger lineup compared to the Wyverns one.
Injuries
Heroes
Won Tae Choi - Out - Not Injury Related
7/11 11:06 PM IST - Choi was removed from the Heroes' roster Saturday, according to Soo Jin Park of Star News. Choi posted a 3.68 ERA over his first 10 starts of the season, but he allowed 11 earned runs in a combined eight innings (12.38 ERA) over his last two outings, so manager Heuk Son decided he could use a break. Sung Hyun Moon is expected to take Choi's spot in the rotation next week, and then Choi will reclaim his place the next time through.
Young Gun Jo - Out - Undisclosed
7/3 12:08 AM IST - Jo recorded two outs and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk Thursday in the Heroes' 10-7 win over the Bears. He didn't factor into the decision in the come-from-behind victory. Jo hasn't had a long leash in any of his starts this season, but even by his standards, Thursday's outing was remarkably brief. The young right-hander gave Heroes manager Heuk Son little reason to stick with him, as Jo put five consecutive hitters on base before he was mercifully pulled. With Jake Brigham (elbow) and Hyun Hee Han (knee) sidelined, Jo may receive at least one or two more starts, but he'll likely be at risk at losing his rotation spot once the Heroes get one of their injured starters back.
Woong Bin Kim - 10-Day IL - Hamstring
6/8 9:38 PM IST - Kim will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a left hamstring injury, Soo Jin Park of Star News reports. Kim missed the start of the season while recovering from a forearm injury, and he is now looking at another absence after injuring his leg Sunday.
Byung Wook Lim - 10-Day IL - Hamstring
5/17 10:12 AM IST - Lim (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports. The 24-year-old went down during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with a right hamstring injury, and he may end up spending two months on the injured list. Lim had a .278/.366/.389 slash line with four doubles and three stolen bases through 11 games.
Dong Won Park - Out - Abdomen
7/16 3:31 PM IST - Park was removed from Kiwoom's roster Thursday due to an abdominal injury, Soo Min Sun of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Kiwoom manager Hyuk Son reported the 30-year-old will rest at least three days, making his earliest return date Sunday. Ji Young Lee is catching Thursday and figures to take over the starting catcher role until Park returns fully healthy.
Addison Russell - Out - Not Injury Related
7/6 4:46 PM IST - Russell is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency reports. Once he arrives in the country, the 26-year-old will immediately be tested for COVID-19 and then quarantine for 14 days. Russell will be able to take batting practice at a house in South Korea while he's in self-isolation, but since he hasn't trained in a team structure since last September while he was still with MLB's Chicago Cubs, he'll need to play at least a few Futures League games before making his debut for the Heroes, who signed him June 19. Per Yoo, manager Son Hyuk said he expects Russell to be an option at both second base and shortstop once he's deemed ready to make his Kiwoom debut, likely in late July or early August.
Wyverns
Jae Hoon Ha - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed
6/23 12:02 AM IST - Ha was removed from the Wyverns' roster on Monday, Soo Jin Park of Star News reports. Ha was removed from the closer's role last week, and after allowing two earned runs in his first appearance after that, he was taken off the roster altogether. No injury has been reported, but Ha simply has not been himself this year after dominating out of the Wyverns' bullpen in 2019. He will get a chance to iron things out and figures to rejoin the top club at some point down the road.
Eui Yoon Jeong - Out - Not Injury Related
7/11 10:57 PM IST - Jeong was removed from the Wyverns' roster Saturday, according to chosun.com. Jeong was one of SK's top hitters over the last few seasons, but he has had a down year and is just 5-for-31 (.161) over his last 13 games, so the club decided to send him down in an effort to get him back on track.
Ji Kwang Kang - Out - Shoulder
6/15 2:22 PM IST - Kang, who has alternated between position player and relief pitcher the last few seasons, will resume pitching in Futures League games Wednesday, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV reports. Kang converted from pitcher to hitter when he was drafted in 2009, per the Yonhap News Agency, but he never saw much action as a hitter and gave pitching another shot a couple years ago. The move appeared to be a good one, as he allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings (1.65 ERA) over his final 15 appearances last season. However, he was plagued by shoulder soreness that sidelined him after mid-June and entered this season as a hitter again. He is now feeling good enough to give pitching another shot, and if all goes well he could be a factor out of the Wyverns' bullpen at some point soon.
Tae Hoon Kim - Out - Not Injury Related
7/11 2:31 AM IST - Kim was assigned to SK's Futures League team Friday, according to chosun.com. Kim was moved from the rotation to the bullpen in late June, and after a rough relief outing his last time out the Wyverns decided to remove him from their first-team roster for the time being. Kim was one of SK's most-dependable relievers in 2019, so the team will no doubt be hoping a stint in the minors helps him get on track.
Chang Pyung Kim - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
7/8 10:43 PM IST - Kim (shoulder) is playing in Futures League games, according to Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV. Kim did not return in late June as expected, but considering he's at least seeing game action, it shouldn't be long until he is deemed ready to rejoin SK's top club.
Jong Wook Ko - Out - Not Injury Related
7/4 11:08 PM IST - Ko was removed from the Wyverns' roster Friday, according to MBN. Ko went just 12-for-52 (.231) over 18 games after recovering from an ankle injury, so SK decided to send him down to work on some things. SK frequently rotates its outfielders, so several players could see more action until Ko rejoins the top club.
Jae Won Lee - Out - Not Injury Related
7/4 10:54 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Wyverns' roster Friday, according to ohmynews.com. Lee went just 4-for-36 over 11 games after recovering from a fractured thumb, so the Wyverns sent him to their Futures League club to try and iron things out there. Hyun Seok Lee will serve as the Wyverns' primary catcher for the time being.
Heung Ryun Lee - Out - Shoulder
6/20 1:02 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Wyverns' roster Saturday due to a shoulder injury, according to Soo Jin Park of Star News. It remains to be seen how long Lee will be sidelined, but with SK's starting catcher, Jae Won Lee, being activated from the injured list in the corresponding move, he is in line to fill a reserve role whenever he is ready to play again.
Tyler White - Out - Not Injury Related
7/16 12:15 AM IST - White signed with the Wyverns on Wednesday, source reports. White had been with the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training but will head across the Pacific in search of at-bats after not being included the team's 60-man player pool ahead of the abbreviated season. In an unusual move, the Wyverns will go with two foreign hitters and just one foreign pitcher, as White will take the slot freed up when Nick Kingham was released in early July. White has quite a bit of pedigree compared to the typical foreign hitter in the KBO, as his 98 wRC+ (the product of a career .236/.315/.409 slash line over 859 plate appearances) is highest among that group. The first baseman is presumably still a few weeks from joining his teammates, as he'll have to go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon his arrival in Korea.
Heroes' Expected Lineup
SP - Seung Ho Lee
1. Keon Chang Seo
2. Ha Seong Kim
3. Jung Hoo Lee
4. Byung Ho Park
5. Jeong Hyeop Heo
6. Ji Young Lee
7. Byung Woo Jeon
8. Hye Sung Kim
9. Joon Tae Park
Wyverns' Expected Lineup
SP - Joo Han Kim
1. Ji Hoon Choi
2. Joon Woo Choi
3. Jeong Choi
4. Tae In Chae
5. Dong Min Han
6. Jamie Romak
7. Jin Gi Jeong
8. Hyun Seok Lee
9. Sung Hyun Kim
Top Picks
Jung Hoo Lee, Heroes: Lee costs 14 credits, but he should be a must-roster player across most formats. He is the top-ranked outfielder by a wide margin in this slate and represents the best captaincy alternative. It also doesn't hurt that he's hitting .309 with three homers and 10 RBI in 55 July at-bats.
Keon Chang Seo, Heroes: Seo has hit safely in seven of his last nine games, and he is enjoying a solid production this month. The second baseman has hit for .327 with four stolen bases in 14 July games. He has also hit .364 in 22 at-bats against the Wyverns this season.
Jamie Romak, Wyverns: Romak has gone just 1-for-16 of late while missing two games this week due to an elbow injury, but he still represents one of the best offensive options in a depleted Wyverns lineup. He is hitting just .222 across 45 July at-bats, but he has three home runs and owns enough power to be a potential home run threat every time he steps to the plate.
Ha Seong Kim, Heroes: Kim is hitting .308 in 14 July games, but he has shown improved power with four home runs, 16 RBI, a .577 slugging percentage and two stolen bases, while posting a 9:6 BB:K ratio in that stretch. That's very good production for a middle infielder.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
P – Seung Ho Lee
C – Ji Young Lee
IF – Ha Seong Kim
IF – Jamie Romak
IF – Keon Chang Seo (VC)
IF – Tae In Chae
OF – Jung Hoo Lee (C)
OF – Joon Tae Park
OF – Hyun-woo Chae
