After breaking records by reaching the Korean Series for the seventh straight year, the Doosan Bears suddenly found themselves in ninth place last year, their worst finish since the 2000s. They hired manager Lee Seung-yeop in the offseason, and his first priority was to bolster their catching staff.

Doosan invested 15.2 billion won ($15.2 million) in 4+2, and with the coveted Yang Ji, 36, in his arms, Lee has Doosan back in contention for the top spot.

Even when the team’s batting struggled in the early part of the season, Yang was the lone holdout. The eight-time Golden Glove winner’s hitting prowess was unparalleled, and he was the first catcher to win a batting title since the “legendary catcher” Lee Man-soo.

We took special care to make sure that our trusted national catcher didn’t fall off the wagon. Although he rarely missed a game, he played 522⅔ innings as a catcher, which was only the eighth highest among all catchers in the league. Jang Seung-hyun played 258⅔ innings and tried to manage the health of his main man, An Bang-ma.

As a result, Yang hit .323 (94-for-291) with nine home runs, 44 RBIs, and 35 runs scored, with a .425 on-base percentage, .481 slugging percentage, and .906 OPS.

He led the team in hits, doubles, RBIs, and was third in home runs. He also had a .350 batting average with runners in scoring position. It’s hard to imagine a batting lineup without Yang Ji. That’s why she batted fourth most often despite being a catcher.

His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 4.07 ranks fourth in the league, according to baseball stats site Statiz. The next closest player to Yang is Jung Soo-bin at 2.10. Jang Seung-hyun, who would have to wear a catcher’s mask in Yang’s place, has a WAR of 0.32.

That’s why Yang’s departure is so painful for Doosan. Yang was removed from the starting lineup against the KT Wiz in Jamsil on April 6.

He felt pain in his side and was uncomfortable with his swing, which led to a medical checkup. The results of the examination are still pending, but the side is a sensitive area, and it’s possible that he could try to return too soon and prolong the injury.

Without Yang, Doosan went 1-3 in the game. Kim Jae-hwan, batting fourth, went hitless in four at-bats. He remains on the roster, but the team will monitor his health for eight days before making a decision.

After winning 11 straight games in July, the most in franchise history, Doosan has gone 3-8 since, including five straight losses. Other teams are also suffering from injuries, but it’s not easy to find a player who is as important as Yang Ji.스포츠토토

After an 11-game unbeaten streak that put pressure on the leaders, Doosan has faltered of late, dropping to fifth place with 47 wins, 44 losses, and one draw. This week’s schedule is up for grabs. They open a three-game series at home in Jamsil against the 10th-ranked Samsung Lions before traveling to Daejeon to face the 8th-ranked Hanwha Eagles.

Doosan has been strong against Samsung, going 5-3 against them and 8-4 against Hanwha. However, without Yang Ji, Doosan’s strength is greatly diminished. Yang Ji in particular has been strong, batting .421 in seven games against Samsung and 0-for-10 against Hanwha.