Seoul:The LG Twins secured their first postseason victory of the year on Wednesday night by defeating the Doosan Bears 4-1 in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason, held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. However, the win was marred by a significant injury to Shin Min-jae, who suffered a left hamstring injury after executing a crucial run-scoring squeeze play.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Shin's injury might prevent him from participating in the remainder of the postseason. Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb expressed concern about Shin's condition, mentioning that tests would be conducted the following day to assess the severity of the injury.
The LG Twins, already dealing with a series of injuries, are missing key players. Closer Son Ju-young, setup man Kim Jin-sung, and swingman Song Seung-ki are unavailable due to various injuries, with former closer You Young-chan having been ruled out for the season earlier in April. Additionally, veteran shortstop Oh Ji-hwan is recovering from a knee injury sustained on October 5. Although he was available for a pinch-hitting role on Wednesday, he has not yet recovered sufficiently to return to defensive play.
Following their victory over the Bears, the Twins have earned a two-day rest before facing the Kia Tigers in the next round on Saturday. Manager Youm hopes this break will allow Oh Ji-hwan to regain full health. If Oh returns to play, utility man Gu Bon-hyeok, currently covering shortstop, could shift to second base to fill in for Shin, thereby mitigating the impact of Shin's absence. If Oh is not ready, the team will rely on backup infielder Lee Young-bin for second-base duties.
On the pitching side, Youm indicated that Kim and Song are likely out for the season due to shoulder and knee injuries, respectively. However, there remains a possibility that Son could return against the Tigers, as Youm is considering adding him back to the roster, depending on his recovery progress. In Son's absence, a closer-by-committee strategy has been employed, given his impressive record of 31 saves this season.