KT Wiz bench slumping Ahn Hyun-min for Korean Series game
Ahn's slump at the plate and a costly misplay in Game 4 prompted the decision as the Wiz face elimination.
The KT Wiz benched slumping slugger Ahn Hyun-min for their elimination game in the Korean Series on Sunday, South Korea's national news agency Yonhap reported.
Trailing the Samsung Lions 3-1 in the best-of-seven championship round, the Wiz will be eliminated with a loss in Game 5 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu.
The Wiz won the series opener on Tuesday but have dropped three straight games since then.
Ahn, the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization Rookie of the Year, homered in the first game, an 8-7 Wiz win, but has gone 1-for-12 with four strikeouts since.
Ahn is normally a designated hitter, but he was moved to right field in Saturday's Game 4 because regular right fielder Choi Won-jun has a hand injury.
Ahn misread a fly ball hit by Kim Do-hwan with the bases loaded, and although the play was not scored as an error, all three runners scored in the Lions' six-run inning.
Jang Jin-hyuk, who homered in Saturday's game, will play right field and bat second.
"Ahn Hyun-min is slumping at the plate, and his defense has been a problem," Lee Kang-chul said before the game.
"Jin-hyuk is swinging the bat better."
Lee said Ahn's defensive problems are not new, but warned that "one defensive miscue can turn the tide" in the postseason.
Lee said starting pitchers Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun will be available in relief, with Davis Daniel starting.
Ko, who started Game 2 last Wednesday, was set to start Game 6 on Tuesday if the series goes that far.
Lee said he hopes Daniel can pitch at least six innings so the team can stick to its regular bullpen plan.
