This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Kiwoom Heroes (9-7) at Lotte Giants (8-7)
Saturday, May 23, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Eric Jokisch (2-0, 0-53 ERA) vs RHP Lee In-bok (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants beat the Heroes 9-7 in the first game of this three-game series, ending their four-game losing streak. They'll face a tougher task this time around with Heroes lefty Eric Jokisch on the mound. The American was one of the best pitchers in the KBO last season, his first in the league, posting a 3.13 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He has a case as the league's top arm thus far this year thanks to an incredible start which has seen him allow just a single run in his first three outings. Opposing him for the Giants will be Lee In-bok, a pitcher with a far lesser reputation. He hasn't allowed a run in his two innings of relief work this year, though that sample pales in comparison with his (admittedly still small) sample of 39.1 innings over the course of his career. Over that full stretch, he's recorded an awful 10.75 ERA and an equally poor 2.36 WHIP. This has the potential to be a rather one-sided affair.
Injuries
Kim Ha-seong, Heroes - Day-To-Day - Ankle
May 22 - Kim (ankle) could return to the Heroes' starting lineup this weekend, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. It was thought that the injury Kim suffered Thursday would sideline him until some time next week, but it was
Kiwoom Heroes (9-7) at Lotte Giants (8-7)
Saturday, May 23, 4:00 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Eric Jokisch (2-0, 0-53 ERA) vs RHP Lee In-bok (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Giants beat the Heroes 9-7 in the first game of this three-game series, ending their four-game losing streak. They'll face a tougher task this time around with Heroes lefty Eric Jokisch on the mound. The American was one of the best pitchers in the KBO last season, his first in the league, posting a 3.13 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He has a case as the league's top arm thus far this year thanks to an incredible start which has seen him allow just a single run in his first three outings. Opposing him for the Giants will be Lee In-bok, a pitcher with a far lesser reputation. He hasn't allowed a run in his two innings of relief work this year, though that sample pales in comparison with his (admittedly still small) sample of 39.1 innings over the course of his career. Over that full stretch, he's recorded an awful 10.75 ERA and an equally poor 2.36 WHIP. This has the potential to be a rather one-sided affair.
Injuries
Kim Ha-seong, Heroes - Day-To-Day - Ankle
May 22 - Kim (ankle) could return to the Heroes' starting lineup this weekend, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. It was thought that the injury Kim suffered Thursday would sideline him until some time next week, but it was determined he is only dealing with a bruised ankle and did not suffer any structural damage, so he was able to join his teammates for this weekend's series with the Giants. Kim was included on the Heroes' roster for Friday's contest, and he could be back in the starting nine sooner than expected.
Lim Byung-wook, Heroes - 10-Day IL - Hamstring
May 17 - Lim (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports. The 24-year-old went down during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with a right hamstring injury, and he may end up spending two months on the injured list. Lim had a .278/.366/.389 slash line with four doubles and three stolen bases through 11 games.
Taylor Motter, Heroes - Out - Not Injury Related
May 16 - Motter was removed from Kiwoom's entry ahead of the club's doubleheader with the LG Twins, according to nocutnews.co.kr. In what amounts to a temporary demotion for Motter, Kiwoom granted him some personal time to spend with his wife, who went into mandatory quarantine upon entering Korea. Motter will be off the roster for at least 10 days, and in his absence Jeon Byung-woo and Kim Joo-hyung will share the third-base duties.
Jung Hoon, Giants - 10-Day IL - Abdomen
May 18 - Lotte announced Monday that Jeong would be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a ruptured left abdominal muscle, Sang-Kyung Park of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Jung didn't appear in either of the Giants' past two games, and the injury now looks to be the cause of both of those absences. He'll undergo regular treatment and rehab until at least mid-June before the Giants determine when he'll be ready to return to game action. Jung had primarily served as a designated hitter for Lotte this season, batting .367 with a home run, two doubles and seven RBI through eight games.
Lee Seung-heon, Giants - Out - Forehead
May 18 - Lee relayed Monday that he believes he'll avoid surgery after he was diagnosed with a microfracture of his forehead following his removal from Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Eagles, Sang-Kyung Park of The Chosun Ilbo reports. Making his season debut for Lotte, Lee was pulled in the third inning after being struck in the head by a comebacker. He was quickly sent to a hospital to address the injury, and the 21-year-old is optimistic that he'll avoid a long-term absence. Lee acknowledged that he'll undergo an additional evaluation later Monday and is expected to remain hospitalized for about 5-to-7 days before a potential timeline for his return is established. The Giants are expected to return Adrian Sampson (personal) to the rotation later this week or early next week, so Lee wasn't expected to continue making regular starts for Lotte beyond his turn Sunday.
Adrian Sampson, Giants - Day-To-Day - Personal
May 19 - Sampson's mandatory quarantine is scheduled to be lifted later this week, according to chosun.com. Sampson was isolated the last couple weeks after returning to Korea from the United States, but if all goes as planned in the coming days, his quarantine will be lifted Thursday, May 21. The report indicates he could spend some time with Lotte's Futures League team before rejoining the top squad, but it also indicates he could be ready to join Lotte's starting rotation at some point next week.
Heroes Expected Lineup
1. Seo Keon-chang
2. Kim Ha-seong
3. Lee Jung-hoo
4. Park Byung-ho
5. Lee Taek-keun
6. Park Dong-won
7. Kim Hye-sung
8. Lee Ji-Young
9. Park Joon-tae
Giants Expected Lineup
P Lee In-bok
1. Min Byung-heon
2. Jeon Jun-woo
3. Son Ah-seop
4. Lee Dae-ho
5. An Chi-hong
7. Han Dong-hee
8. Jung Bo-geun
9. Shin Bon-gi
Top Picks
Eric Jokisch, Heroes: Jokisch's expensive price tag (16.5 credits) may make it somewhat difficult to fill in the rest of your lineup, but the gap in talent between him and Lee In-bok is even larger than their 9.5-credit gap in price. The Giants' lineup, which ranks a mediocre sixth in scoring this season, doesn't seem like a serious threat to end Jokisch's hot streak.
Lee Jung-hoo, Heroes: Lee is probably the Heroes' best hitter, so it's quite a surprise to see him come in at a very cheap 8.5 credits. The 21-year-old was an excellent contact hitter with very little power through his first three KBO seasons, but he appears to be breaking out this year, launching three homers in his first 16 games.
Park Dong-won, Heroes: Park is one of the better offensive catchers in the KBO, though he's not priced like it, coming in at just eight credits. He's off to a very hot start, hitting .340 with four homers and 13 RBI in his first 15 games.
Lee Dae-ho, Giants: It's hard to get behind the idea of a Giants-based lineup with Jokisch on the mound, but if you want to differentiate yourself from the competition and predict an upset, Lee makes for a strong captain choice. The veteran slugger has only managed one homer this season, but it's hard to complain about his .375 batting average or 11 RBI.
Captaincy Options
1. Eric Jokisch
2. Lee Jung-hoo
3. Lee Dae-ho
Dream11 Team
P Eric Jokisch (C)
C Park Dong-won
IF Lee Dae-ho
IF Park Byung-ho
IF Seo Keon-chang
IF Shin Bon-gi
IF Han Dong-hee
OF Lee Jung-hoo (VC)
OF Kim Gyu-min
