This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Doosan Bears (9-6) at Samsung Lions (5-11)
Saturday, May 23, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Raul Alcantara (2-1, 4.00 ERA) vs RHP Dae Woo Kim (0-0, 3.86 ERA)
Game Preview
The Bears are coming off a big 12-7 win over the Lions on Friday, putting themselves back into the win column while the extending the Lions' losing skid to two contests. The Bears' offense has averaged 6.0 runs scored per game this week, while the Lions continue to struggle at the plate and have scored three of fewer runs twice in this week's four games. The Bears will try to win their second straight by sending Raul Alcantara, who has 16 strikeouts and a 4.00 ERA in 18.0 innings, to the mound. The Lions will counter with Dae Woo Kim, who comes into his first start of the season having allowed five runs in seven innings across five outings as a reliever.
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – Out – Side
5/21 4:40 PM IST - Oh (side) was placed on the injured list Thursday, according to hankyung.com. The right side injury that forced Oh from Wednesday's game is not believed to be serious, but it will cost him several games. Joo Hwan Choi will slide over from second base and cover first base until Oh is ready to return.
Jung Hyun Baek – Lions – 10-Day IL – Calf
May 12 - Baek will miss at least a week with soreness in his left calf,
Doosan Bears (9-6) at Samsung Lions (5-11)
Saturday, May 23, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Raul Alcantara (2-1, 4.00 ERA) vs RHP Dae Woo Kim (0-0, 3.86 ERA)
Game Preview
The Bears are coming off a big 12-7 win over the Lions on Friday, putting themselves back into the win column while the extending the Lions' losing skid to two contests. The Bears' offense has averaged 6.0 runs scored per game this week, while the Lions continue to struggle at the plate and have scored three of fewer runs twice in this week's four games. The Bears will try to win their second straight by sending Raul Alcantara, who has 16 strikeouts and a 4.00 ERA in 18.0 innings, to the mound. The Lions will counter with Dae Woo Kim, who comes into his first start of the season having allowed five runs in seven innings across five outings as a reliever.
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – Out – Side
5/21 4:40 PM IST - Oh (side) was placed on the injured list Thursday, according to hankyung.com. The right side injury that forced Oh from Wednesday's game is not believed to be serious, but it will cost him several games. Joo Hwan Choi will slide over from second base and cover first base until Oh is ready to return.
Jung Hyun Baek – Lions – 10-Day IL – Calf
May 12 - Baek will miss at least a week with soreness in his left calf, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. It's not clear how much time Baek will miss, but he will be out at least one week according to the KBO's roster rules. Baek garnered the Opening Day start for Samsung, but he has clearly not been himself this season, allowing eight earned runs in 10.0 innings over two starts.
Young Jin Choi – Lions – Out – Not Injury Related
May 13 - Choi was demoted to the minors on Monday, Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency reports. A corner infielder by trade, Young played the outfield last week and struggled, leading to the decision by manager Huh Sam-young to send Young to the minors to get more outfield reps. "He's a capable infielder, but he needs more reps in the outfield," Huh said. "We decided to give him some time to work as an outfielder in the minors."
Seong Gyu Lee – Lions – 10-Day IL – Head
May 16 - Lee was removed from Samsung's first-group entry Saturday, according to the team's official Twitter account. It's not certain why Lee was taken off the roster, but it likely has something to do with him taking a pitch off his helmet just a couple nights ago.
Ben Lively – Lions – Day-To-Day – Side
May 22 - Lively left Friday's start after pitching to just one batter with a left side injury, according to Seong Yun Park of SPOTV News. Lively left his last start in the second inning with a hand injury, and he did not even make it that far in Friday's contest. The extent of his injury is not yet certain, but his status will be updated when more details are available.
Seunghwan Oh – Lions – Out – Suspension
May 13 - Oh is sitting out the first 30 games of this season for a suspension first levied back in 2016, due to an incident that occurred in November 2014. The former Cardinals and Rockies reliever has a long history of pitching well as a closer for Samsung. A tweet from 2018 from former FanGraphs writer and current Lotte Giants employee Sung Min Kim describes the situation, and a 2016 article from Criz Hombrebueno of CalvinAyre.com details the actual incident the suspension stems from. Upon return, Oh will be a candidate to resume his closing duties for the Lions.
Doosan Bears Expected Lineup:
SP - Raul Alcantara
1. Kun Woo Park
4. Jae Hwan Kim
5. Jae Won Oh
6. Jae Ho Kim
7. Se Hyuk Park
Samsung Lions Expected Lineup:
SP - Dae Woo Kim
1. Sang Su Kim
2. Dong-Yub Kim
3. Ja Wook Koo
4. Won-seok Lee
5. Hak-ju Lee
7. Hun Gon Kim
8. Min-Ho Kang
9. Hae Min Park
Top picks:
Jose Fernandez, Bears: In a matchup with several high-prized alternatives, Fernandez undoubtedly stands out as the best one. He's been one of the league's best hitters and is coming off a six-RBI effort Friday. He could have a field day against Dae Woo Kim, a pitcher who's used to working in relief.
Jae Hwan Kim, Bears: Kim has worked as the Bears' designated hitter this season and enters this game on a three-game hitting streak. He enjoyed a torrid start to the campaign and despite posting a .179 average over his last seven games, he's hit safely five times over that stretch. He's still a strong option even after his recent slump.
Ja Wook Koo, Lions: Koo is one of the few reliable bats in the Lions lineup, and he has responded every time his team has needed him. He missed a few contests with a forearm injury early in the season but enters this matchup riding an eight-game hitting streak with three multi-hit efforts in his last four contests.
Raul Alcantara, Bears: Alcantara stands out as the best option for a starting pitcher in this matchup. He has posted two quality starts in three outings and is coming off a one-run effort in seven innings against the Tigers. He could benefit of the fact that the Lions own a paltry .232 batting average as a team, the worst mark in the KBO this season.
Captaincy Options:
2. Jae Hwan Kim
3. Ja Wook Koo
Dream11 Team
P – Raul Alcantara
C – Se Hyuk Park
IF – Jose Fernandez (C)
IF – Ji Chan Kim
IF – Jae Ho Kim
OF – Jae Hwan Kim (VC)
OF – Ja Wook Koo
OF – Seong Gon Lee
OF – Soo Bin Jeong
