The KIA Tigers and LG Twins announced their 30-player rosters on the 16th for the upcoming semi-playoffs (best-of-five series).

KIA, the third-place finisher in the regular season, and LG, the winner of the wild card game, will face off in Game 1 of the semi-playoffs at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow (the 17th) at Jeonnam-Gwangju Champions Field.

Notably, LG included closer Son Ju-young, whose participation was previously uncertain due to injury, along with infielder Shin Min-jae, who injured his thigh during Game 1 of the wild card round.

Son missed the final regular season game against KIA on the 12th due to symptoms of a cervical herniated disc and was also left off the wild card roster.

After the wild card game concluded on the 14th, LG manager Yeom Kyeong-yeop stated, "We discussed with the coaching staff and decided to put Son on the semi-playoff roster for now, while reviewing his condition before deploying him."

While Son has earned a spot on the semi-playoff roster, whether he will be able to take the mound starting from Game 1 is expected to be a core variable for the series.

An LG club official stated, "Son's condition has improved after receiving treatments such as injections," adding, "We will monitor his recovery until tomorrow morning (the 17th) before deciding from the bench whether to put him into the game."

Son has not yet fully recovered his physical condition.

He has not even gone through live pitching drills such as bullpen sessions.

Given that the semi-playoffs can stretch up to five games, LG appears to be keeping his deployment in mind for Game 4 or later.


Shin Min-jae, whose situation previously raised concerns about a potential season-ending injury, avoided a major injury according to medical examination results and boarded the bus bound for Jeonnam-Gwangju.

Oh Ji-hwan, who injured his knee late in the regular season, also retained his spot on the semi-playoff roster following the wild card round.

Compared to their wild card roster, LG newly added Son Ju-young while dropping infielder Son Yong-jun.

KIA included its key starting players on the semi-playoff roster without issue.

All major hitters who led the team's offense throughout the season, including offensive centerpiece Kim Do-young, Na Sung-bum, Harold Castro, and Park Jae-hyun, were included.

Both LG and KIA included 14 pitchers and 6 outfielders each on their rosters.

However, LG placed only two catchers on the list—Park Dong-won and Lee Ju-heon—while KIA included three: Kim Tae-gun, Han Jun-su, and Joo Hyo-sang.

Instead, LG has 8 infielders, which is one more than KIA (7).

KIA appears to have included a third catcher, Joo Hyo-sang, to ease the defensive burden on catcher Han Jun-su and maximize offensive output.

(Photo: Yonhap News)