Kiwoom Heroes high school rookie pitcher Kim Dong-kyu (20) will make his KBO League starting debut against his hometown team, the LG Twins.

Head coach Hong Won-ki met with reporters on Wednesday ahead of his team’s 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul and announced Kim Dong-kyu as the starting pitcher for the game on Wednesday.

Kim Dong-gyu, who was selected by LG with the 17th pick in the second round of the 2023 KBO Draft, left LG for Kiwoom via trade on July 29. In exchange for key pitcher Choi Won-tae, Kiwoom received Kim Dong-gyu, outfielder Lee Ju-hyung, and a first-round pick in the 2024 rookie draft.

While Lee Ju-hyung and Choi Won-tae have already reported for duty, Kim Dong-gyu has been gaining professional experience in the second team.

Kim will now make his first first-team start since his transfer, and he coincidentally starts against LG. Kim’s only first-team appearance came on June 10, when he pitched ⅓ of an inning against the Hanwha Eagles. This will be his first time both starting and facing his hometown team. 안전놀이터

Initially, it was the turn of ace Ahn Woo-jin to start the 13th game. However, when Ahn had to skip one start due to a medical condition, a “backup starter” was needed, and Kim Dong-gyu was selected.

“A very tall pitcher (Kim Dong-gyu is 195 centimeters tall) will start tomorrow,” Hong laughed, “but I don’t want to put pressure on him. We want to judge his potential as a starting pitcher, his performance, and his delivery.”

The fact that the first game of a transfer is against a hometown team can put a lot of pressure on a rookie pitcher. In particular, LG has a strong batting lineup with the highest team batting average (0.281).

“It can be a little bit brutal, but if you can shake off that fear and gain confidence, you can gain a lot of energy,” Hong said. I hope that tomorrow’s game will be the foundation for Kim Dong-gyu’s growth.”