▲ Kim Ha-seong of South Korea takes part in batting practice for the World Baseball Classic at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 2, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ Tommy Edman of South Korea speaks to reporters after practice for the World Baseball Classic at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 2, 2023. (Yonhap)

baseball players-training

In lieu of game action, big leaguers Kim, Edman to take live batting practice in WBC prep

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's only two major leaguers for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC) will take live batting practice Friday afternoon in Seoul, having been ruled out of an informal scrimmage scheduled for later in the day.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Friday that Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres and Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals will face live pitching starting at 1 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Right-hander Won Tae-in and left-hander Koo Chang-mo will be on the hill.

Starting at 5 p.m., the national team will take on the minor league affiliate of the SSG Landers at the dome. But Kim and Edman aren't eligible for that occasion because it's not an official, pre-WBC exhibition game.

Manager Lee Kang-chul said after Thursday's workout that the game will be shortened from the scheduled 10 innings to nine innings, in order to allow Kim and Edman to have live practice.

Lee's plan was to have each batter face about 15 pitches apiece.

Kim and Edman didn't participate in South Korea's training camp in Tucson, Arizona, last month, due to their club commitments. They instead got into a couple of spring training games to prepare for both their big league seasons and the tournament.

The two will be eligible for South Korea's two final exhibitions in Osaka next week: against the Orix Buffaloes on Monday and the Hanshin Tigers on Tuesday.

The national team is scheduled to depart for Osaka on Saturday afternoon.

Its first Pool B game is next Thursday against Australia at Tokyo Dome.

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