Gwangju: The defending South Korean baseball champion Kia Tigers have welcomed back a trio of stars from injured lists at the start of the season's second half while awaiting more returns as they chase their second straight title. Before their first game following the All-Star break in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) got rained out Thursday, the Tigers activated pitcher Lee Eui-lee, infielder Kim Sun-bin, and outfielder Na Sung-bum.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee last pitched in May last year before undergoing a season-ending elbow operation. He is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul. The 23-year-old left-hander, known for his strikeout abilities, should provide a jolt to a starting rotation decimated by other injuries this season. Lee had seven strikeouts in three innings in a minor league outing last week.
They're awaiting the return of American right-hander Adam Oller, who has been slow to recover from elbow inflammation that sidelined him on June 28. The Tigers had initially expected Oller back after the break, and now they're targeting an early August return for the pitcher who has an 8-3 record with a 3.03 ERA and a team-leading 107 strikeouts.
Kim has been limited to just 34 games this season due to multiple leg injuries, and the reigning Korean Series MVP will be a welcome presence near the top of the Tigers' lineup. Na, the Tigers' captain, hasn't played since late April due to a calf injury. Though he was off to a slow start, batting just .226 with four homers in 26 games, Na is a proven power threat who had 21 homers and 80 RBIs in only 102 games last season.
While backups, such as Kim Ho-ryung and Oh Sun-woo, have more than held their own in Kim's and Na's absences, the veterans' return will now make the Tigers that much deeper and more dangerous. Designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo missed the All-Star Game last week due to some hamstring problems but is ready to play right away in the second half, the Tigers said. At 41, Choi leads the Tigers with a .329 batting average and 55 RBIs.
The lineup will become even more dangerous in early August when the reigning KBO MVP Kim Do-yeong rejoins them after recovering from his second hamstring injury of the season. The Tigers made a big push toward the end of the first half before hitting a speed bump with a four-game losing streak. After reaching second place earlier this month, the Tigers entered the break in fourth place at 45-40-3 (wins-losses-ties), but they are only 1 1/2 games behind the third-place Lotte Giants and 2 1/2 games back of the second-place LG Twins.