This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
LG Twins (11-6) vs Hanwha Eagles (7-11)
Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Tyler Wilson (0-2, 5.71 ERA) vs LHP Chad Bell (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Twins have climbed the standings quickly over the last few weeks, currently sitting in second place with a strong 11-6 record. The Eagles, on the other hand, enter this matchup on a two-game losing skid with a 7-11 record overall. In a battle of two former MLB arms, Tyler Wilson will go up against Chad Bell, who will be making his first start of the season. It's unclear how Bell will fare as he works his way back from an elbow injury, but he has a reliable track record at the KBO level, going 11-10 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 29 starts during the 2019 season. Wilson, on the other hand, has posted a less-than-impressive 5.71 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP through his first three starts. He has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in only 17.1 frames of work on the whole, though he's allowed just two earned runs in both of his last two starts.
Injuries
Ju Seok Ha – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Ha will be sidelined for four weeks with right thigh muscle pain, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The club also announced that Sun Jin Oh would require about four weeks of rehab after he and Ha were both
LG Twins (11-6) vs Hanwha Eagles (7-11)
Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Tyler Wilson (0-2, 5.71 ERA) vs LHP Chad Bell (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Twins have climbed the standings quickly over the last few weeks, currently sitting in second place with a strong 11-6 record. The Eagles, on the other hand, enter this matchup on a two-game losing skid with a 7-11 record overall. In a battle of two former MLB arms, Tyler Wilson will go up against Chad Bell, who will be making his first start of the season. It's unclear how Bell will fare as he works his way back from an elbow injury, but he has a reliable track record at the KBO level, going 11-10 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 29 starts during the 2019 season. Wilson, on the other hand, has posted a less-than-impressive 5.71 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP through his first three starts. He has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in only 17.1 frames of work on the whole, though he's allowed just two earned runs in both of his last two starts.
Injuries
Ju Seok Ha – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Ha will be sidelined for four weeks with right thigh muscle pain, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. The club also announced that Sun Jin Oh would require about four weeks of rehab after he and Ha were both diagnosed with thigh injuries following Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants. Ha's loss is a significant one for the Eagles, as he slashed .333/.349/.405 with seven RBI through 12 games. With Oh's injury further thinning the Eagles' depth in the infield, Si Hwan Noh looks to be the next man up to slot in as the club's everyday shortstop.
Tae-Kyun Kim – Eagles – Out – Not Injury Related
May 20 - Kim was removed from Hanwha's first-team entry Wednesday, according to chosun.com. Kim is off to a dreadful start this year, hitting just .103 (3-for-29) through 11 games, so he will spend some time with Hanwha's second team in hopes that gets him back on track.
Sun Jin Oh – Eagles – 10-Day IL – Thigh
May 18 - Hanwha announced Monday that Oh would be sidelined for four weeks due to a right thigh injury, Young-rock Kim of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh's absence from the lineup in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants was believed to be a routine off day, but the Eagles were apparently evaluating him for an injury that he picked up the previous day. Doctors determined Oh was dealing with damage to the medial muscle of his right thigh, an injury that will keep him on the shelf through at least mid-June. Teammate Ju Seok Ha picked up the same injury in Sunday's game and will also be sidelined for at least four weeks, leaving the Eagles supremely thin in the infield. Oh has been the Eagles' top hitter so far during the young season, slashing .346/.357/.538 with a home run and five RBI over his 28 plate appearances.
Woo Seok Ko – Twins – 10-Day IL – Knee
May 18 - The Twins announced Sunday that Ko underwent arthroscopic surgery to address meniscus and MCL damage in his left knee, Jae-hyung Roh of The Chosun Ilbo reports. He's expected to be sidelined for at least three months while rehabbing from the procedure. After recording a save in one of his two appearances this season, Ko reported the knee injury to the club Thursday before he was sent in for further evaluation. The Twins' medical staff quickly determined that Ko would require a scope to address the knee issue, rendering him unavailable through at least early August. With Ko out of the mix, manager Joong-il Ryu indicated that Sang Gyu Lee will be the Twins' primary closer, while Woo Young Jung is the next man up behind Lee.
Hyung Jong Lee – Twins – Out – Wrist
May 10 - Lee, who suffered a fractured wrist in a preseason game, is expected to return in late May or early June, Newsis News Agency reports. Lee broke the fifth metacarpal in his left hand, but he should be a big part of LG's offense when he returns after hitting .286 with 13 home runs and an .800 OPS last season. Yong-taik Park has received more playing time as a result of Lee's injury.
LG Twins Expected Lineup:
SP - Tyler Wilson
2. Hyun Soo Kim
8. Kang Nam Yoo
9. Ji Hwan Oh
Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup:
SP - Chad Bell
1. Jin Ho Jeong
2. Eun Won Jung
3. Jared Hoying
5. Moon Ho Kim
8. Si Hwan Noh
9. Yong-Kyu Lee
Top picks:
Roberto Ramos, Twins: Ramos has gone yard in three of his last six games, tallying eight RBI and posting a .409 OBP over that stretch. He has cooled off a bit following a sizzling start to the season, but he remains a capable threat in the middle of the Twins' lineup.
Hyun Soo Kim, Twins: After registering five hits over the final two games of the weekend series against the Wiz, Kim is now batting .386 on the season, a top-five mark in the KBO. Kim enters this contest in a three-game hitting streak, posting a .442 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage through 17 games.
Moon Ho Kim, Eagles: Kim has gone hitless in his last two games, but he's still hitting .310 after coming out of the gate hot with a .450 average in his first six games. The Eagles remain hampered by injuries, making Kim a relatively steady presence in the middle of the lineup.
Tyler Wilson, Twins: If you're looking to select a starting pitcher for one of your captain slots, Wilson seems like the best bet of the two. Aside from the fact that this will be Chad Bell's first start of the season, Wilson is also coming off two straight starts where he allowed just two earned runs. He's clearly trending in the right direction.
Captaincy Options:
2. Hyun Soo Kim
3. Moon Ho Kim
Dream11 Team
INSERT IMAGE
P – Tyler Wilson
C – Kang Nam Yoo
IF – Roberto Ramos (C)
IF – Si Hwan Noh
IF – Seong Yul Lee
OF – Chun Woong Lee
OF – Moon Ho Kim
OF – Hyun Soo Kim (VC)
OF – Eun Seong Chae
