Left-handed bullpen pitcher Ham Deok-ju (28), who has been the backbone of the LG Twins this season, will find it difficult to pitch in the remaining regular season.
“There is still a lot of inflammation in his elbow, so the regular season will be difficult,” LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop told reporters at Katie Weeds Park in Suwon on Tuesday.
Ham, who is eligible for free agency after this season, appeared in 57 games with four wins, four saves and a 1.62 ERA in 16 appearances, helping LG’s dominance.
When he was sidelined from the first team on March 29 with a sore left elbow, Yim didn’t expect the absence to be prolonged.
Yeom said, “I’m not catching the ball at all. I told him not to catch it. Actually, it got better in the middle, so I did (pitching drills). But the test on Tuesday (Nov. 19) showed that there was still inflammation,” he explained.
The LG coaching staff decided it was better to give him enough time than to rush him.
If LG clinched the top spot in the regular season and went straight to the Korean Series, they would have more than a month to prepare.
“They told me not to even play catch because I might not be able to pitch in the postseason if I fumble,” Yeom said. I’m taking medication to control the inflammation, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Unlike Ham Deok-ju, Adam Plutko, 31, was ordered to return quickly.
Plutko, who refused to throw last season against the club’s medical staff, has been with Hamhung this season after being expunged from the first team on May 29.
Yeom said, “Plutko should come back as soon as possible. He must pitch two or three games before the postseason. If he’s going to pitch one game and then go to the postseason, I won’t use him at all,” he said firmly.
“I don’t let (players) do whatever they want,” he added. 토토사이트
