This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
SK Wyverns (3-16) vs Doosan Bears (12-7)
Thursday, May 28, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Geon Wook Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Yong Chan Lee (1-1, 10.34 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns' season continues to get worse as they dropped Wednesday's contest against the Bears by a tight 4-2 score. They've now lost five of their last six games, while the Bears have won four of their last five. The Wyverns might not get a better chance to win than the one they'll have on Thursday with Geon Wook Lee on the mound. The right-hander is yet to allow runs this season, but his two previous appearances have come on relief. It remains to be seen whether he can handle a starting role. The Bears will counter with Yong Chan Lee, who is coming off a disastrous outing the last time out. The 31-year-old has allowed at least four runs in each of his three previous starts. Can he turn things around against one of the weakest offenses in the league?
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – 10-Day IL – Side
May 26 - Doosan manager Tae-hyoung Kim said Tuesday that Oh (side) has resumed hitting off a tee and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh hasn't played since May 20 due to right side pain, but his return from the injured list is seemingly imminent. The slugging first baseman said that if he experiences no issues with his side
SK Wyverns (3-16) vs Doosan Bears (12-7)
Thursday, May 28, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected starters
RHP Geon Wook Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Yong Chan Lee (1-1, 10.34 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns' season continues to get worse as they dropped Wednesday's contest against the Bears by a tight 4-2 score. They've now lost five of their last six games, while the Bears have won four of their last five. The Wyverns might not get a better chance to win than the one they'll have on Thursday with Geon Wook Lee on the mound. The right-hander is yet to allow runs this season, but his two previous appearances have come on relief. It remains to be seen whether he can handle a starting role. The Bears will counter with Yong Chan Lee, who is coming off a disastrous outing the last time out. The 31-year-old has allowed at least four runs in each of his three previous starts. Can he turn things around against one of the weakest offenses in the league?
Injuries
Jae Il Oh – Bears – 10-Day IL – Side
May 26 - Doosan manager Tae-hyoung Kim said Tuesday that Oh (side) has resumed hitting off a tee and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, The Chosun Ilbo reports. Oh hasn't played since May 20 due to right side pain, but his return from the injured list is seemingly imminent. The slugging first baseman said that if he experiences no issues with his side while swinging during batting practice, he'll likely be reinstated to the roster ahead of Thursday's series finale with SK Wyverns. Prior to getting hurt, Oh was off to a sizzling start to the 2020 campaign, slashing .385/.448/.692 with 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 13 games.
Tae In Chae – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Ribs
May 12 - Chae will be out six weeks with a right intercostal injury, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. Chae has not played frequently for SK this season, but the club will be a bit thin at first base until he recovers from his injury. They should be just fine in his absence, though, as fellow first baseman Jamie Romak has started every game at the position to date.
Dong Min Han – Wyverns – Out – Lower Leg
May 26 - Han will be out 6-to-8 weeks with a microfracture in his right shin bone, according to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net. It did not appear Han suffered a serious injury when he left SK's last game Sunday, but follow-up exams revealed that to actually be the case, and Han will be sidelined until sometime in July.
Chang Pyung Kim – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Shoulder
May 26 - Kim will miss at least a few days with the left shoulder injury he suffered Sunday, according to OSEN. The Wyverns placed Kim on the injured list because KBO rules allow them to bring him back as soon as he is healthy, but he may not be out long, as the team will reevaluate his progress in 3-to-4 days.
Nick Kingham – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Elbow
May 21 - Kingham (elbow) is expected to miss at least two more starts, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The extent of Kingham's injury is uncertain, but it's looking like he will be sidelined at least until some point in June. The Wyverns have not yet announced who will take the ball next time Kingham's spot in the rotation comes up.
Jong Wook Ko – Wyverns – Out – Ankle
May 23 - Ko's recovery from his ankle injury will take longer than expected, and he is now expected to be sidelined until sometime in June, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV News reports. Ko's original recovery timetable gave him a chance to get back on the field before May came to a close, but he will need a bit more time to get back to 100 percent.
Jae Won Lee – Wyverns – 10-Day IL – Thumb
May 7 - Lee exited Thursday's 8-4 loss to Hanwha with a fractured right thumb, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. SK Wyverns has yet to announce a timeline for Lee's return. Lee was hitless in his first two at-bats before he sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch in his third plate appearance of the day. SK Wyverns will presumably send Lee in for more tests to determine whether surgery is necessary, but even if he avoids a procedure, he appears likely to miss time on account of the injury. Lee's expected absence further thins a weak KBO catcher pool in which the 32-year-old stood out as one of the top fantasy options coming off a 12-homer, 75-RBI 2019 season. Hyun-seok Lee replaced Jae-won in Thursday's game and would presumably be in store for regular work behind the dish while the latter is sidelined.
SK Wyverns Expected Lineup:
SP - Geon Wook Lee
2. Joon Hyuk Oh
3. Jeong Choi
4. Jamie Romak
5. Jin Gi Jeong
8. Hong Gu Lee
9. Hyun Jeong
Doosan Bears Expected Lineup:
SP – Yong Chan Lee
1. Kun Woo Park
4. Jae Hwan Kim
5. Jae Won Oh
6. Jae Ho Kim
7. Se Hyuk Park
Top picks:
Jose Fernandez, Bears: Fernandez should be a popular pick among fantasy managers ahead of this matchup. His cost may make it difficult for owners to assemble a well-rounded lineup, but there's no question that he's among the best hitters in the league right now. With a .481/.506/.734 slash line through 89 plate appearances, Fernandez has established himself as an early frontrunner for MVP honors.
Jae Ho Kim, Bears: Kim might be entrenched as the Bears' sixth hitter, but that doesn't mean he isn't producing at an elite rate. He owns a .377/.449/.443 slash line through his first 70 plate appearances, with that batting average good for second in the team, trailing only Fernandez.
Jae Hwan Kim, Bears: Kim might not be producing at the same rate as Fernandez, but he continues to be a valuable presence in the Bears' lineup. The left fielder has hit safely in six of his last seven games and is coming off a 2-for-3 day on Wednesday. He has driven in four runs over his last two games as well, making him decent alternative captain choice given the overall strength of the Bears' offense.
Soo Kwang Noh, Wyverns: The Wyverns have several dangerous hitters out of the lineup due to injuries, but Noh could be a strong contender to produce some kind of offense for the underdogs. Noh extended his hitting streak to four games Wednesday, and he'll see more hitting opportunities now that he's established himself at the top of the order.
Captaincy Options:
2. Jae Ho Kim
3. Jae Hwan Kim
Dream11 Team
P – Yong Chan Lee
C – Hong Gu Lee
IF – Jose Fernandez (C)
IF – Jae Ho Kim (VC)
IF – Joo Hwan Choi
OF – Jin Gi Jeong
OF – Jae Hwan Kim
OF – Soo Bin Jeong
OF – Soo Kwang Noh
