Byun will start as the seventh batter and first baseman against Hanwha in Daejeon on Sunday. He started as the first baseman of this season against Samsung in Gwangju on Sunday, and garnered three hits and one RBI from five times at bat, including two doubles, before moving to the starting lineup.
"I will watch today because I heard that I am confident in (the opponent team's starting pitcher) Moon Dong-ju's ball," Kia Tigers coach Lee Bum-ho said in an interview before the game. Although his team was weak last year by allowing no hits and one strikeout in five times at bat against Moon, Lee is pinning his hope on Byun's recent batting performance and confidence.
Byun is batting .281 (18 hits in 64 at-bats) with one home run, five RBIs and an OPS.751 in 25 games this season. He is on the rise with a batting average of .300 (nine hits in 30 at-bats) with one home run, three RBIs and an OPS of .811 in nine games in July. Lee Woo-sung, the main first baseman, is taking advantage of the opportunity he had when he suffered a hamstring injury late last month.
"I am fully aware that I have to survive (in the first team) at a time when (Lee) is starting to work out. I have talked about Woo through such messages a lot. If you are more desperate, you will be able to do well. If you make a change every time you fail to hit a batter's box, it will be negative for you. I am getting better by changing such areas," Lee said.
Meanwhile, Kia Tigers' starting pitchers Moon Dong-ju were Socrates Brito (left-handed), Choi Won-joon (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Na Sung-bum (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Byun Woo-hyuk (first baseman), Kim Tae-gun (catcher) and Park Chan-ho (striker). Starting pitchers are right-handed Kim Do-hyun. 토토사이트 추천
Kim Do-hyun, who replaced Yoon due to back injury, will make his debut as a starting pitcher in two years. "I'm going to have him throw 60-70 pitches. I think increasing the number little by little so that he can fill up to 100 pitches within this season will also help us prepare for next season. It's important to win today's game, but since Do-hyun should be the starting rotation, I will focus on improving my physical condition as a starting player."