This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
KT Wiz (20-26) at Hanwha Eagles (12-35)
Sunday, June 28th, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4, 4.50 ERA) vs LHP Chad Bell (0-4, 7.67 ERA)
Game Preview
Both the Wiz and the Eagles sit in the bottom three spots in the standings this season, though there's nevertheless quite a gap between the two sides. The Wiz are just six games under .500 and have been outscored by a narrow margin of 0.15 runs per game, while the Eagles are 23 games under .500 and have been outscored by a margin of 2.77 runs per game. It would be shocking if they finish the regular season anywhere near the .500 mark. The pitching matchup Sunday features two struggling pitchers in Odrisamer Despaigne and Chad Bell. Despaigne has allowed at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts, while Bell has posted a 7.67 ERA in only 27 innings across six outings. He has pitched more than five innings just twice all year long.
Injuries
Brandon Barnes, Eagles - Out - Not Injury Related
June 22 - Barnes has signed a contract with the Eagles for the rest of the season, Jee Ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The Eagles released outfielder Jared Hoying on Monday, and decided to add Barnes as his replacement. Barnes has appeared in 484 MLB games in his career, but just 21 since the start of the 2017 season, so he decided to take a shot playing
KT Wiz (20-26) at Hanwha Eagles (12-35)
Sunday, June 28th, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4, 4.50 ERA) vs LHP Chad Bell (0-4, 7.67 ERA)
Game Preview
Both the Wiz and the Eagles sit in the bottom three spots in the standings this season, though there's nevertheless quite a gap between the two sides. The Wiz are just six games under .500 and have been outscored by a narrow margin of 0.15 runs per game, while the Eagles are 23 games under .500 and have been outscored by a margin of 2.77 runs per game. It would be shocking if they finish the regular season anywhere near the .500 mark. The pitching matchup Sunday features two struggling pitchers in Odrisamer Despaigne and Chad Bell. Despaigne has allowed at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts, while Bell has posted a 7.67 ERA in only 27 innings across six outings. He has pitched more than five innings just twice all year long.
Injuries
Brandon Barnes, Eagles - Out - Not Injury Related
June 22 - Barnes has signed a contract with the Eagles for the rest of the season, Jee Ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The Eagles released outfielder Jared Hoying on Monday, and decided to add Barnes as his replacement. Barnes has appeared in 484 MLB games in his career, but just 21 since the start of the 2017 season, so he decided to take a shot playing overseas. He will have to clear South Korea's mandatory quarantine period whenever he makes the trip there, so he will not make his Eagles debut until sometime in mid-July. Once he is ready to go, though, expect him to regularly occupy a spot in Hanwha's outfield.
Jin Haeng Choi, Eagles - 10-Day IL - Side
June 25 - Choi will miss a week of action due to a side injury, Young-rok Kim of the Chosun Ilbo reports. The 34-year-old reportedly suffered the setback during an at-bat in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game at Daegu. Jin Ho Jung is the leading candidate to replace Choi until the career-long Eagle fully recovers.
Ju Seok Ha, Eagles - 10-Day IL - Thigh
June 2 - Eagles manager Yong-duk Han admitted Tuesday that Ha (thigh) is recovering from his injury slower than anticipated and will likely be sidelined until July, The Chosun Ilbo reports. When Ha injured his right thigh in a May 17 game, the Eagles were optimistic that he would complete his rehab in four weeks and rejoin the club around mid-to-late June. The shortstop's recovery timeline now looks like it will fall more in the six-week range, if not longer, given his lack of progress to date. Ha's ongoing absence should continue to open up regular work for Si Hwan Noh in the middle infield.
Soo Kwang Noh, Eagles - Out - Ribs
June 24 - Noh will miss three weeks with a fractured right rib, Kyung Yoon Kim of the Yonhap News Agency reports. It comes as terrible news for a struggling Hanwha team that traded for the 29-year-old less than a week ago. Before suffering the rib injury, Noh hit .350 with three runs scored in his first five games for the Eagles.
Wiz Expected Lineup
SP - Odrisamer Despaigne
1. Yong Ho Jo
3. Mel Rojas
4. Baek Ho Kang
5. Han Joon Yoo
9. Woo Jun Sim
Eagles Expected Lineup
SP - Chad Bell
1. Yong Kyu Lee
2. Eun Won Jung
3. Jin Ho Jung
4. Tae Kyun Kim
6. Sun Jin Oh
9. In Ho Choi
Top picks
Mel Rojas, Wiz: Rojas has been one of the league's most prolific hitters this year and has gone yard in three straight contests, giving him 17 homers for the year. The slugging outfielder is rapidly approaching "must-captain" status with the way he has been hitting the ball this season.
Odrisamer Despaigne, Wiz: Despaigne has given up four or more earned runs in four of his last five starts, so he doesn't represent a very enticing alternative for this matchup. However, the other starter in this game, Chad Bell, enters this game with an ERA approaching the 8.00 mark, and Despaigne also has the benefit of facing the weakest lineup in the KBO. If Despaigne wants to leave his struggles behind, this is the game to do it.
Eun Won Jung, Eagles: The second baseman is currently hitting .266 with a .741 OPS, respectable numbers considering the struggles the Eagles have had on offense all season long. Jung also enters this matchup on a six-game hitting streak, going 9-for-22 (.409) with seven RBI during that stretch.
Jeong Dae Bae, Wiz: Bae might not be as prolific as Rojas, but there is no question he's also in strong form at the moment. The 25-year-old outfielder recently went five straight games with at least one hit and has gone 13-for-45 (.289) in his last 10 games, adding two homers and five RBI during that stretch.
Captaincy Options
1. Mel Rojas
3. Eun Won Jung
Dream11 Team
P – Odrisamer Despaigne (VC)
C – Sung Woo Jang
IF – Eun Won Jung
IF – Hyun Min Kim
OF – Mel Rojas (C)
OF – Jeong Dae Bae
OF – Yong Ho Jo
OF – Baek Ho Kang
OF – Jin Ho Jung
