Will NC Dinos’ native left-handed ace Koo Chang-mo (26) be able to win a ticket to Hangzhou by proving his health and ability?
Koo Chang-mo will conduct live pitching at Masan Baseball Stadium on the 13th. This is the first time Koo Chang-mo is on the mound since he was out of action in the game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on June 2 after complaining of an injury.
Koo Chang-mo, who was selected by NC as the 3rd overall pick in the 2nd 1st round in 2015 and recorded 46 wins, 34 losses, and an ERA of 3.74 in 163 games (628.2 innings) until last year, is a left-hander who, when healthy, can be worthy of the title ‘the best ace in the league’. He is a pitcher. He achieved double-digit wins in the 2019 season (10 wins) and the 2022 season (11 wins), and even in the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the aftermath of COVID-19, he recorded 9 wins, no losses, and an ERA of 1.74, contributing to NC’s combined championship. .온라인카지노
However, he has always suffered from the evil spirit of injury. He was not included in the opening lineup in 2019 due to a right medial oblique muscle injury, and was out of action later that year due to a back stress fracture. In the 2020 season, he was absent for about three months due to a stress fracture in his left forearm, and in 2021, he continued to complain of stress fractures and eventually ended up on the operating table, taking an entire season off. As such, he was not free from injuries and suffered a hamstring injury midway through the 2022 season and has no experience filling the required number of innings in a season.
Injuries have hindered Koo Chang-mo this season as well. After the opening, he continued to work in the starting rotation, recording 1 win, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 3.26 in 9 games (47 innings), but was expunged from the first team entry on June 3 due to microscopic damage to his left flexor muscle. To make matters worse, the stress fracture recurred at the end of that month, and he had to undergo a long period of rehabilitation.
In particular, Koo Chang-mo’s physical condition was of great concern to the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team led by coach Ryu Joong-il. Koo Chang-mo, who was selected as a wild card in this national team composed mainly of young players, was highly expected to play a role as a leader of the pitching staff. However, as his departure time lengthened, the theory of his replacement arose, and it is currently impossible to guarantee that he will go to Hangzhou.
The Hangzhou Asian Games are also very important to Koo Chang-mo personally. If he participates in the competition and wins a gold medal, he can receive special military service benefits. However, if he falls out of the national team or fails to win a gold medal even if he participates, he will have to enlist in the Armed Forces Athletic Corps at the end of this season.
Koo Chang-mo, who started playing catch at the end of August and slowly began preparing for his return, threw his first bullpen pitch at Masan Baseball Stadium on the 5th. First, he threw 20 pitches from a short distance in front of home plate, and then immediately threw 10 pitches from a normal distance. Then, on the 7th, he attempted a bullpen pitch of 30 pitches from a normal distance, and on the 10th, he threw a 50-pitch bullpen pitch from a normal distance, with a ratio of fastballs to breaking balls of 6:4. It was reported that there was no discomfort in the injured area after the pitch.
Koo Chang-mo, who is considering switching to the bullpen when he returns to catch a flight to Hangzhou, finally gets on the mound and pitches live for the first time since his injury. If he is healthy and still shows excellent pitching ability in live pitching in an environment similar to an actual game, the timing of his return is expected to gradually become clear. If there is no problem with his physical condition or condition on this day, Koo Chang-mo plans to play in the Futures (2nd team) league game against Sangmu to be held at Masan Baseball Stadium on the weekend.
Realistically, there is not much time for Koo Chang-mo to prove himself in order to remain in the national team. The national team, which was convened on the 23rd and has a tournament schedule in early October, will watch professional baseball games until this week and announce the final roster around next week. In order for Koo Chang-mo to even slightly increase his chances of winning a ticket to Hangzhou, he must successfully complete this live pitching and show a powerful pitch in the Sangmu Futures League match on the weekend.