When will NC Dinos super ace Eric Pedi be ready to go?
NC head coach Kang Myung-ho spoke about Pedi ahead of Game 3 of the 2023 KBO postseason semifinals (best-of-five) at Changwon NC Park on Friday.
This season, Pedi has been a super ace in the NC uniform, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 30 games (180.1 innings).
However, the regular season did not end well. On the 16th, he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju, but was hit in the right forearm by the next batter, Ko Jong-wook. Fortunately, it was diagnosed as a simple bruise.
In the aftermath, Pedi was left off the roster for Game 1 of the wild-card deciding game against the Doosan Bears. He was named to the semifinals roster, but not only did he miss Games 1 and 2, but he will also miss Game 3 on Sunday.
There was a twist along the way. Initially, head coach Kang Myung-ho announced Pedi as the starter for Game 3 before Game 2, but he changed his mind after the game. Pedi was feeling uncomfortable and went to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with simple impingement syndrome.메이저놀이터
There is still no timetable for Pedi’s return. Before the third game of the semifinals, head coach Kang Myung-ho said of Pedi, “He trained normally today. It’s true that (his condition) is better than before,” but he also said, “It’s a little difficult to say right now. I’ll tell you more precisely after the game.”
NC will enter the playoffs as a partner of KT Wiz, which finished second in the regular season. However, there is no guarantee that they will win. As a commander, I have to prepare for Game 4. If Pedi is unavailable, left-hander Choi Sung-young will start Game 4. He pitched well in Game 2 of the semifinals on March 23, throwing 1.2 innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts and no walks.
“If we go to Game 4 and Pedi is not available tomorrow, I’m thinking of Choi Sung-young as a starter,” Kang said. “I’ll go in and listen to Pedi’s story once. I don’t think he’ll say no…” he said.
Kang added, “If you watch today, if Choi Sung-young pitches (today), it’s Pedi (who starts tomorrow), and if he doesn’t pitch, it’s Choi Sung-young.”