Lee Seung-ho had another major crisis.

The All-Star Game in July. Yang Yang-ji (36, Doosan Bears) vowed to play more in the second half of his career.

Yang, who became a free agent for the second time after last season, signed a 4+2-year contract with Doosan for a total of 15.2 billion won. Yang, who joined Doosan in 2006 and was first eligible for free agency after the 2018 season, returns to a different Doosan after five years.

Last year, Doosan finished in ninth place, its lowest ranking since its inception, and parted ways with head coach Kim Tae-hyung after eight years at the helm, replacing him with Lee Seung-yup.

Yang was seen as a key to rebuilding the dynasty. He could be a 20-homer hitter at the top of the order, and he was the right person to help pitchers develop while wearing a catcher’s mask.

In the first half, Yang fulfilled expectations. In 75 games, he batted .335 with eight home runs and showed off his power. His familiarity with the pitching staff was excellent.

Being such a big part of the team’s lineup, Lee said, “I pray he doesn’t get sick”. To this, Yang Ji replied, “In the second half, I will not get sick and work harder. I’ll work harder in the second half of the season, so I can wear the catcher’s mask more.”

But August began to turn into a “nightmare month” for Yang Ji. Yang Ji had been suffering from tonsillitis for the past four days, coughing and feeling a slight pain in his side. The uncomfortable sensation continued, and on the seventh, he went to the hospital for a checkup. A Doosan official said, “An abnormality was found in the muscle part of his side where he complained of discomfort.” Although he was not immediately removed from the roster, after discussions with the coaching staff, he was forced to take a break.

This is the biggest setback for Doosan at a busy time. After winning 11 straight games from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second half, Doosan’s momentum has slowed recently. They are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. The third-place team is now in fifth place with 47 wins, 1 loss and 44 draws in the last seven days. They are one game behind the third-place NC Dinos (48-1-43) and fourth-place KT (49-2-44). They’re also one game behind the sixth-place KIA Tigers (44 wins, 2 ties, 43 losses). If they don’t find a rebound, they could find themselves at a disadvantage in the top-five fight.메이저사이트

For now, the backup catcher will need to step up. Currently, Doosan’s first team roster has Jang Seung-hyun and Park Yoo-yeon as catchers. In the Futures League, they have Ahn Seung-han, who showed good form last year. Yoon Jun-ho, who made a name for himself as a catcher on the entertainment program “Strongest Baseball,” is also in the works.

Doosan, which was forced to “hold on” due to the injury of foreign pitcher Dylan Pyle in the first half of the season, will be hoping to find a “second Yang Ji” in its backup catching staff.