LG Twins left-handed reliever Ham Deok-ju (28) is in full swing as he prepares for the postseason (PS).
He traveled to Jamsil Stadium on Tuesday to throw out of the bullpen before the home game against the Lotte Giants. It was his first bullpen pitch since being removed from the first team roster due to injury in late August. He briefly threw again in September with the second team, but was suspended following a second examination that showed the inflammation had not completely cleared up. The LG first team held a voluntary practice on the morning of the 12th before traveling to Changwon for an away game against the NC Dinos on the 13th. Ham Deok-ju will continue to train separately from the first team at Jamsil Stadium.
LG will take a three-day break immediately following the conclusion of the pennant race before gathering at LG Champions Park in Icheon for a training camp in preparation for the Korean Series (KS). Ham Deok-ju, who has started pitching out of the bullpen after returning from injury, is expected to join the team. The addition of Ham Deok-ju could help LG realize manager Yoon Kyung-yeop’s plan to have a full staff of bullpen pitchers in the KS.
LG has been utilizing new faces in the bullpen since the beginning of the season due to injuries and poor performances of key relievers such as Ko Woo-seok and Jung Woo-young. In addition to Ham Deok-ju, Yoo Young-chan, who returned to the team after serving in the military last year, and rookie Park Myung-geun have been outstanding in the early season and have become the new puzzle pieces of the bullpen. They weren’t the only ones. Veteran Kim Jin-sung, who spent the first half of the season in a variety of roles, both chasing and winning, had his best second half of the season, anchoring the bullpen with his best pitching in September and October, especially in the aftermath of his withdrawal from the Hangzhou Asian Games team. With Go Woo-seok and Jeong Woo-young solidifying the KS, LG can challenge for the title with an even more solid bullpen.스포츠토토
Ham Deok-ju had a 4-4 record, 16 saves, and a 1.62 ERA in 57 games this season before getting injured. The ERA was a career-high, and the 16 saves were a single-season high. After struggling with injuries over the past two years, he returned to health this season and lived up to his team’s expectations. He was sidelined in late August with elbow inflammation, but is now working hard to regain his pitching feel in order to take the mound for KS.
The addition of Ham Deok-ju is even more significant for LG. He has a wealth of KS experience. He made five KS appearances for the Doosan Bears. In 12 games, he had a record of 1 loss, 1 hold, 2 saves, and a 4.09 ERA. Among LG bullpen pitchers, there are not many resources that have pitched in the high-pressure KS stage. Furthermore, the lack of left-handed pitchers could be a boon for the team.