Samsung Lions Turn to Lee Seung-min After Closer Injury Disrupts Postseason Plans

The Samsung Lions will rely on breakout left-hander Lee Seung-min in high-pressure late-inning situations after an injury to All-Star closer Kim Jae-yoon forced the club to revise its bullpen strategy at the start of a Korea Baseball Organization postseason series.

Manager Park Jin-man said Sunday that Lee is now the Lions’ most dependable relief option and will be deployed in crucial spots. Samsung was preparing to host the Kia Tigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the opening game of their best-of-five postseason round when it entered the series without several important pitchers.

Kim, who led the regular season with 35 saves, is expected to miss up to two weeks because of an upper-body injury. The Lions are also without left-handed relievers Lee Seung-hyun and Baek Jung-hyun, leaving Lee Seung-min as the only left-handed option remaining in the bullpen.

The 26-year-old Lee produced the strongest regular season of his six-year career. He finished 6-2 with a 2.65 earned run average while setting career highs in holds, appearances and innings. His 23 holds came across 74 outings and 68 innings, giving Park an experienced and in-form option as Samsung seeks to protect late leads without its established closer.

Park indicated that Lee would not necessarily be confined to a conventional ninth-inning role. The manager said the Lions would consider the score, the opposing lineup and other available pitchers when deciding how to handle late innings. That flexible approach could place Lee into the game at the most demanding moment rather than saving him for a predetermined inning.

Samsung is also managing an injury-related lineup complication. Outfielder Koo Ja-wook, the regular-season batting champion, is returning from a hamstring injury and is currently limited to designated-hitter duties. That decision left 42-year-old veteran Choi Hyoung-woo on the bench for Sunday’s game because the Lions prioritized defense in the outfield.

Park said Koo’s presence in the batting order was too important to sacrifice. However, he acknowledged that Choi may still have to play in the outfield later in the series. If Choi enters as a pinch hitter while Samsung is trailing, the manager may keep him in the game rather than use him for only one plate appearance.

The changes leave the Lions balancing immediate offensive needs with late-game pitching risk. Lee’s emergence gives Samsung a credible bullpen anchor, but the loss of its saves leader and two additional left-handers means the club will have less room for error as the postseason series unfolds.