Kia Tigers coach Lee Beom-ho said, "I have no intention of using left-hander Lee Eui-ri (23) too much this year. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2023. He set a timetable for his return to the primary around June this year. When he left the U.S. for the Urban Spring Camp on Sunday, he talked about this summer.토토사이트

The speed of his rehabilitation process is definitely fast. "I need to pitch now. I will be able to increase the number of pitches step by step through the starting rotation in the Futures League from March to April," Lee said in his training part. "When I asked him what he should do, he said he thought it would be better to go to the spring camp since the pitching coach is watching me from now on."

However, both Lee and Lee said they would not overdo it this season. No matter how much chances Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation have increased, it is impossible for them to return to their 100 percent condition in just a year. Case by case, but some pitchers take more than two years to recover the sense of pitching.

Of course, Lee called it a strike with 155 kilometers in the first half of his return match on his YouTube channel Gyativ this winter. It is natural that fire bowlers want to speed up to the past after rehabilitation. However, if you overdo it, you will get sick.

In other words, Lee Bum-ho believes that the first year of his return is 2026. "Okay to confirm that you are not sick anymore this year." Even when he returns, he strictly controls the number of pitches, innings, intervals of pitches and the number of pitches he takes. He can be considered a bonus pitcher attached to James Nail, Yang Hyun-jong, Adam Oler, Yoon Young-cheol, Kim Do-hyun, or Hwang Dong-ha.

Instead, if he returns safely and healthily this year, he will become really strong in 2026. The prevailing view is that if he recovers his speed and ball control, he will grow into a native ace to replace Yang in the long run. Cha Woo-chan, who retired, stressed on his YouTube channel "Chit Chit Chit."

If so, the team will naturally be able to turn a "happiness circuit" towards Kia's starting lineup. In the long run, Yang Hyeon-jong, Yi Ui-ri, Yoon Young-cheol, and even right-handed fireballer Kim Do-hyun could be positioned. Given that Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-cheol have yet to completely deal with their military service, it is also necessary for Kim Do-hyun or Hwang Dong-ha to be fully positioned as starters. Lee Bum-ho clearly evaluates Kim Do-hyun's chances as well.

Expectations are high that right-handed rookie Kim Tae-hyung, who will debut this year, will also be selected as Kia's flagship fireballer. He is also a rookie who has yet to open the lid. Trial and error will inevitably catch up. However, it is also true that the expectations are high among the pitchers chosen recently. Following Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-cheol, these two players will naturally settle down. Though the seats seem tight right now, it is up to traffic control. If KIA is to be a strong team for a long time, it is essential to nurture young starting pitchers. In fact, teams are taking actions with that in mind.

Kim already hits the mid-150km range. He can also hit sliders and curves. He has a strong mentality and good ability to run games. He is slightly below the level of professional players, but he is clearly different from ordinary rookies. Industry watchers say that if Kim consistently gives chances to players, he is highly likely to burst his potential sooner.

In this regard, the next one or two years is very important to KIA. This is because it is a chance to gradually reduce the burden on Yang while expanding the role of young starting pitchers. Yang has already decided not to let Yang run 170 innings each. Only then can Yang run for a long time and his team survive. KIA will challenge again to become a starting pitcher beyond the era when Yang and Yoon Suk-min had just appeared. The clock is ticking already.