Kim Seo-hyun (20, Hankwa) was already a talent who thrilled the league with his mid-to-low 150 mph fastball as a high schooler in Seoul. Expectations were high that he would become a lightning fast sidearm that could reach 160 kilometers per hour. With Shim Joon-seok (Pittsburgh) choosing to pursue a major league career, Kim made a splash as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

He started his rookie season with a strong start, throwing his hard-hitting fastball with a lot of promise. However, he was unable to maintain his command and began to fall apart. His pitches were the problem. He was not competitive in the first team. He hasn’t been able to compete in the first team. He hasn’t been able to settle down in either the offseason or spring training. In six games with the first team this season, his ERA was 2.57, but he walked 11 batters in seven innings.

Kim has spent more days on the second team this year than he has on the first team roster. Even in the second team, she has an 8.40 ERA in 15 games. For a prospect like Kim, the second team doesn’t mean much, but it’s disappointing that he hasn’t really established himself yet. However, Kim Kyung-moon, the head coach of Hanwha, believes that players like Kim Seo-hyun are the ones who will eventually make Hanwha stand on their feet. So he decided to see for himself.

On June 30, Kim Seo-hyun was added to the first team ahead of a doubleheader against Lotte at Sajik Stadium. She joined the first team as a special entry for the doubleheader. However, she didn’t get a chance to pitch as Games 1 and 2 of the doubleheader were rained out. Kim Seo-hyun was dropped from the first team again on the 1st. However, Kim Kyung-moon will keep Seo-hyun with the first team for the time being to monitor the adjustment process from a distance. The attention of a coach can sometimes be a great motivator for a player. It will be interesting to see if Kim Seo-hyun can get over this hump quickly.

Including Kim, a total of 25 players were removed from the KBO roster on Monday. In some cases, players who were called up as special rosters for a doubleheader on the 30th were sent back down to the second team, while others were sent down to the second team for roster moves after their last appearance in the first half on the 30th. Of course, there are also players who have been demoted for poor performance.

Hanwha kept Kim Seo-hyun and catcher Jang Kyu-hyun, who were specially called up for the doubleheader the day before, in the lineup. Kiwoom also dropped back to the second team, with infielder Kim Joo-hyung and outfielder Lee Seung-won, who had been designated for assignment for the doubleheader, not getting a chance to play. KIA, who were also scheduled to face Kiwoom, dropped right-hander Yoon Joong-hyun and catcher Han Seung-taek to the second team after being called up to the first team via a doubleheader special entry. It was a chance for Yoon and Han to showcase their abilities in the first team, but unfortunately, the stage was washed away by the rain.

LG turned to its bullpen, which used four pitchers – Kim Dae-hyun, Son Ju-young, Lee Faith, and Lee Woo-chan – and infielder Kim Sung-jin. Son 먹튀검증 Ju-young was removed from the first team after pitching the first half to prepare for the second half. However, Kim Dae-hyun and Lee Woo-chan’s recent struggles influenced the decision to move to the second team. Kim Dae-hyun gave up one run on four hits and two walks without recording an out against the Changwon NC on March 30. He has a 5.91 ERA in 33 games this season. Lee Woo-chan also struggled against the NC on the 30th, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in ⅓ innings. His season ERA of 9.10 in 36 games is not as impressive.

Things are a little more complicated for Samsung. After finishing the first half, ace Won Tae-in was sent down to the second team to prepare for the second half. Won pitched 91 innings in 16 games in the first half, going 7-4 with a 3.16 ERA. His ERA was the best among Korean starting pitchers, and he will be out of the lineup for the second half of the season. Hwang Dong-jae, who started the second game of a doubleheader against KT on June 30 and pitched well with five innings and one run, was also sent down to the second team with hopes still alive.

On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon, a veteran bullpen arm who has helped stabilize the team’s bullpen this year, went to the second team due to injury. He has damage to his left adductor muscle. He’ll be out for about a month, and Samsung also has a headache. Kim anchored Samsung’s bullpen with a 2-2 record and a 2.97 ERA in 38 games last season. However, he will likely be out for the entire July schedule, so the move to fill the spot will be hectic. Outfielder Kim Jae-hyuk, who was designated for assignment for the doubleheader, was also sent to the second team.

Lotte dropped catcher Seo Dong-wook and pitcher Lee In-bok from the first team. Seo was promoted to the first team on June 19, but was sent back down to the second team. Lee In-bok, who was promoted to the first team as a special entry for the doubleheader, and Jeong Hyeon-soo, who has a 7.71 ERA in two games this year, were also removed from the first team to make room for the roster. NC dropped Lee Jae-hak, who pitched well in the first half of the game against Changwon LG with six innings and one run, to the second team, while Kim Se-hoon was also dropped from the first team roster.

SSG had starter Oh Won-seok removed from the roster after his last appearance in the first half against Doosan on the 30th, while KT had four players removed from the first team, including pitcher Ko Young-pyo, outfielder Kim Young-hyun and infielder Cheon Sung-ho.