The Samsung Lions, who struggled with a lack of hits in the first game of the playoffs (best-of-five series), have pulled out a counter-strategy card.

Ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 27th, Samsung Manager Park Jin-man announced the starting batting lineup: Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Park Seung-gyu (right fielder), Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter), Lewin Díaz (first baseman), Choi Hyoung-woo (left fielder), Kim Young-woo (third baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), and Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop).

The biggest change from the previous day is that veteran Choi Hyoung-woo is starting as the fifth batter and left fielder.

Manager Park stated, "Our batting lineup looked helpless yesterday," adding, "We included him in the starting lineup to maximize our offensive power and because we believe the experienced Choi Hyoung-woo is the player who can turn the momentum around."

Samsung was limited to just two hits in Game 1, which Choi Hyoung-woo missed.

The issue is Choi Hyoung-woo's defensive capability.

With Koo Ja-wook, who has not fully recovered from an injury, playing as the designated hitter, Choi Hyoung-woo was deployed as the left fielder.

Choi Hyoung-woo, the oldest player in the KBO League at 42 years old, played only 43 innings in left field across 6 games this season.

Addressing some concerns that Choi might feel burdened by defensive duties, Manager Park emphasized, "Choi is likely preparing firmly in his heart," and "He is not a player who should be undervalued (even in defense)."

Regarding the situation where Won Tae-in, who served as a regular starting pitcher, is standing by in the bullpen for the playoffs, he explained the pitching staff operation plan, saying, "He will definitely pitch when we are winning," and "There will likely be changes to the starting rotation for the (postseason)."

In addition, Manager Park gave instructions for all-out pitching to Ariel Jurado, whom he named as the starting pitcher for Game 2, stating, "In a short series, rather than pitching long innings, it is important to prevent runs to a minimum even if it is just 5 innings."

(Photo: Yonhap News)