Jamsil — LG Twins catcher Park Dong-won was removed from the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the KIA Tigers after suffering a hip contusion in the previous game. Manager Yeom Kyung-yup confirmed the injury before the contest, expressing frustration over the setback.
Collision Leaves Park Sore
During Saturday’s 5–8 loss to the Lotte Giants, Park collided with third baseman Victor Reyes while attempting to block the plate in the bottom of the third inning. With runners on the corners and no outs, Park fielded a sacrifice bunt and charged toward home to tag out Reyes, but the impact sent him to the ground in pain. He remained in the game until being replaced by Lee Joo-heon in the later innings.
“He’s sore, but he’s alive,” Yeom said Sunday. “He took a hit yesterday, so it looks like he’ll need to rest until tomorrow at least.” The manager added that the team will monitor Park’s condition before deciding on his return.
Hot Streak Interrupted
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Park, who had been on a tear since May. Over 19 games this month, he posted a .292 batting average (14-for-48) with four home runs and 10 RBIs. In his last 10 games, his average climbed to .364. His absence leaves a significant gap in LG’s lineup, especially as the club battles for the top of the standings.
LG Clings to Second Place
Despite the loss, LG holds a 30–20 record, sitting second in the KBO League, one game behind the league-leading Samsung Lions and half a game ahead of third-place KT Wiz. “We’ve been grinding through some tough stretches,” Yeom said. “It’s not ideal, but that’s baseball — it’s always a grind.”
Wells Returns from Injury
On a positive note, starting pitcher Casey Wells was activated for Sunday’s matchup after being sidelined with a lower back muscle strain. Wells is expected to throw around 80–90 pitches in his return. Before the injury, the right-hander posted a 2–2 record with a 2.06 ERA over 39 1/3 innings across seven starts, earning praise as one of the league’s most effective Asian-quota pitchers alongside Hanwha’s Ian Kings.
Wells faces a hot KIA squad riding a six-game winning streak. LG’s lineup for the day featured Hong Chang-ki in right field, Park Hae-min in center, Austin Dean as the designated hitter, Moon Jung-bin at first base, Oh Ji-hwan at shortstop, Gu Bon-hyuk at third, Song Chan-ui in left, Lee Joo-heon behind the plate, and Shin Min-jae at second base.
The Twins hope to snap their two-game slide and keep pace in the tightly contested KBO standings.
