Oh Seung-hwan is back. The Samsung Lions called up Oh after removing Yang Hyun from the first team entry on Wednesday.
He returned to the second division after 10 days. His return to the second division was not due to injury but due to preparation. Oh remains the lone lead in saves with two wins, seven losses and 27 saves with an ERA of 4.50 this season, but his pace has not been very good recently. 메이저사이트
Oh garnered 24 saves through June, showing off his veteran finishing power. However, he showed difficulty in allowing 13 runs in nine ⅔ innings in 13 games since July, and only added three saves during the period.
Meanwhile, the leading KIA Tigers closer Jung Hae-young made 26 saves (2-3, 1.98 ERA), chasing Oh Seung-hwan to the bottom of the list of saves.
Oh now has a chance to challenge for his seventh save title this year, but things are not going well for him. For the time being, Kim Jae-yoon will likely be in charge of Samsung’s back door. Kim took the mound four times with saves since mid-August, and has kept his team’s victory.
Chances are high that Oh will play the role of setup man in front of Kim. Things could change if he recovers his speed, pitching and confidence, but it will be difficult to immediately change the Kim Jae-yoon regime, which has been adding stability amid fierce competition for ranking positions. If Oh recovers his condition, however, Samsung’s bullpen will become stronger regardless of his position.