“(Moon Dong-ju) will play about 7 games in the second half.”
Hanwha Eagles coach Choi Won-ho revealed the schedule for Moon Dong-ju to start in the second half.
Moon Dong-joo, who made his professional debut in the 2022 season, is a right-handed pitcher who is attracting a lot of attention with his fastball that reaches 160 km. In his debut season, he showed potential by raising an ERA of 5.65 with 1 win, 3 losses and 2 holds in 13 games.
Moon Dong-ju has developed further this year. He has settled into the starting rotation in earnest and is recording 5 wins and 6 losses with an average ERA of 3.69 in 15 appearances (75.2 innings) as of the 8th before the game. In the recent appearance against the Daejeon Lotte Giants (3-4 Hanwha loss) on the 6th, 4 innings, 6 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and 3 runs, but on the 24th of last month, against the Changwon NC Dinos (7-1 Hanwha win, 8 2 hits, 7 strikeouts, no runs in an inning) and against Daegu Samsung Lions on June 30 (6-1 Hanwha win, 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, no runs in 6 innings), he showed his true value perfectly.
Moon Dong-ju, who has such a lot of potential, was selected for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which will open in September. He plans to play in about seven games in the second half.
Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho said ahead of the match against SSG Landers in Daejeon on the 7th (cancellation in rainy weather), “(Moon Dong-joo) threw well twice (June 24 against Changwon NC and June 30 against Daegu Samsung) and did that yesterday (6th). Before the All-Star break), he said, “I will play in the last (Jamsil) LG Twins game,” and “I will play about 7 games in the second half.”
This is due to the firm policy of the Hanwha club to protect younger players. Since last year, Hanwha has thoroughly managed Moon Dong-ju’s pitching innings. Initially, he planned up to 100 innings last season, but he suffered an unexpected injury during the season and only 28.2 innings.
Hanwha plans to limit Moon Dong-ju’s pitching innings to 130 innings this season, including the Asian Games. Currently, Moon Dong-ju is digesting 75.2 innings.
Director Choi said, “We will have to look at the cancellation of the rain or the condition, but if the mound is normal, Dong-ju Moon will pitch until the end of August.”안전놀이터
From the end of August, we prepare for the Asian Games. Director Choi Won-ho said, “Teams that go directly to the Korean Series usually have more than three weeks. If you go straight, you will only recover and catch balls for one week, and pitching from the second week. Then, in the third week, I throw 2-3 innings once or twice in a practice game and enter the Korean Series. Then the pitch will be very good. (Moon) Dong-ju will also prepare for the Asian Games.”
Of course, there is no limit on innings from next season, when Moon Dong-ju is in his 3rd year as a pro. Coach Choi said, “Next year, the inning limit will be lifted. The club also plans to limit rookie pitchers to 100 innings in the first year, 130 innings in the second season, and lift the inning limit. (Moon Dong-ju too) I wonder if it would be possible to do that,” he said.
