SSG Landers right-hander Moon Seung-won is back on the mound for the first time in more than three months.
Moon will take the mound on May 22 at SSG Landers Field in Incheon against the NC Dinos.
It will be 112 days since his last start against the KT Wiz on May 2.
Moon was moved after struggling early this season, going 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA in four starts.
Since then, he has pitched 38 games and 41⅔ innings out of the bullpen, going 2-2 with a 3.89 ERA and nine saves.
However, he faltered this month, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 16 hits and seven walks in 10 innings over eight games.
Moon’s return to the starting rotation comes as SSG has struggled in its last six games, going 1-5.
They narrowly snapped the losing streak by beating the LG Twins on April 20, but SSG’s starting ERA (4.91) during that stretch ranks seventh in the league.
“We also thought about Lee Kun-wook and Song Young-jin (as starters), but it’s still an important situation, so we decided that a player with experience should start,” SSG manager Kim Won-hyung explained before the game.
Moon Seung-won was SSG’s main starting pitcher before undergoing elbow surgery in June 2021.
Kim plans to use Moon Seung-won against the Jamsil Doosan Bears on May 27 and then review his pitching performance to decide whether to keep him in the starting lineup.
Speaking about Moon Seung-won, Kim said, “He hasn’t looked good in the bullpen lately, so he seems to be throwing the ball with the mindset of ‘why not’ on the mound. In a good way, it’s fighting spirit, but it feels a little angry,” Kim said, adding, “As a veteran player, I want him to throw the ball calmly.”
Moon’s pitch count is expected to be around 70 pitches. 토토사이트