This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
LG Twins (13-6) at Hanwha Eagles (7-13)
Thursday, May 28, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Casey Kelly (1-0, 5.79 ERA) vs RHP Warwick Saupold (2-1, 2.25 ERA)
Game Preview
The Twins continued their rise in the standings by destroying the Eagles on Wednesday to the tune of a 15-4 score. That win pushed their winning streak to three games and kept them in second place with a strong 13-6 record. Meanwhile, the Eagles fell to 7-13 and are in ninth place, only topping the struggling Wyverns. The Twins will try to win their fourth straight Thursday with Casey Kelly on the mound. His 5.79 ERA is less than exciting, but he's yet to lose a game and has allowed just four runs in 12 innings over his last two starts. The Eagles will counter with their ace, Warwick Saupold. The 30-year-old right-hander has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four outings in 2020, notching quality starts in each of his trips to the mound.
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
LG Twins (13-6) at Hanwha Eagles (7-13)
Thursday, May 28, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Casey Kelly (1-0, 5.79 ERA) vs RHP Warwick Saupold (2-1, 2.25 ERA)
Game Preview
The Twins continued their rise in the standings by destroying the Eagles on Wednesday to the tune of a 15-4 score. That win pushed their winning streak to three games and kept them in second place with a strong 13-6 record. Meanwhile, the Eagles fell to 7-13 and are in ninth place, only topping the struggling Wyverns. The Twins will try to win their fourth straight Thursday with Casey Kelly on the mound. His 5.79 ERA is less than exciting, but he's yet to lose a game and has allowed just four runs in 12 innings over his last two starts. The Eagles will counter with their ace, Warwick Saupold. The 30-year-old right-hander has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four outings in 2020, notching quality starts in each of his trips to the mound.
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 - Casey Kelly
2. Hyun Soo Kim
8. Kang Nam Yoo
9. Ji Hwan Oh
Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup:
SP - Warwick Saupold
1. Eun Won Jung
2. Yong-Kyu Lee
3. Jin Ho Jeong
4. Jared Hoying
5. Moon Ho Kim
9. Si Hwan Noh
Top picks:
Roberto Ramos, Twins: Ramos leads the KBO in home runs with nine after going yard Wednesday. The slugging first baseman has now homered in three straight games and in five of his last seven contests. As if that wasn't enough, he also has a .358/.456/.821 line through his first 78 plate appearances.
Hyun Soo Kim, Twins: Kim recorded three hits during Wednesday's win, giving him multi-hit performances in each of his last four contests. The 32-year-old outfielder has a .410/.471/.603 slash line through his first 86 plate appearances and is riding a five-game hitting streak.
Casey Kelly, Eagles: Kelly's numbers are not impressive by any means – he owns a 5.79 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP in 14.0 innings of work – but most of that come from the fact he allowed five earned runs in just two innings during his first start of the season. He allowed four runs the last time out, but those are the only runs he's allowed in his past 12 innings.
Warwick Saupold, Eagles: If the Eagles want to pull the upset against the red-hot Twins, then Saupold will need to be at his best. He owns a strong 2.25 ERA to go along with a stellar 0.96 WHIP in 28.0 innings this season. He's yet to allow more than three runs in any game during the 2020 campaign.
Captaincy Options:
2. Hyun Soo Kim
3. Casey Kelly
Dream11 Team
P – Casey Kelly
C – Jae Hoon Choi
IF – Roberto Ramos (C)
IF – Min Seong Kim
OF – Eun Seong Chae
OF – Moon Ho Kim
OF – Chun Woong Lee
OF – Jin Ho Jeong
OF – Hyun Soo Kim (VC)
