Участник:Jeong Jo-jun before the opening game

Hanwha Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin (37) is smoothly playing the process for the opening game.

Ryu held his first live pitching session at the Kochida Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on Tuesday. Live pitching refers to the process by which pitchers pitch balls on the mound with batters at the plate. This exercise is one step closer to actual practice than bullpen pitching in which only batters are thrown.

Ryu had planned to perform live pitching on Friday, but his schedule was pushed back by one day due to heavy rain in the region. He will be able to play live pitching smoothly on Friday, accelerating preparations for the regular season. 스포츠토토

Ryu faced off against four hitters in order: Kim Tae-yeon, Lee Sang-hyuk, Jang Kyu-hyun, and Park Sang-eon. There were two left-handed hitters and two right-handed hitters each. Hanwha's main fielders had moved to other stadiums for practice games against the Lotte Giants. Catcher Choi Jae-hoon received the ball from Ryu.

It was a live pitching, but Ryu's pitches were powerful. His pitches were so good that he broke two bats. His ball control was also impressive. "In this live pitching, Ryu threw 65 pitches including fastballs, cutters, curves, sliders and changeups. The maximum speed of his fastballs came out to 139 kilometers per hour," the Hanwha Eagles said on Sunday.

The process is going very smoothly. After being selected to join the Hanwha Eagles, Ryu threw a total of two bullpen sessions in Okinawa, Japan, where his spring camp is taking place. He threw 45 pitches in his first bullpen session on April 23, and played 60 pitches in his second bullpen session on April 26. He threw 65 pitches in this live pitching session. For Ryu, it is highly encouraging that he is gradually increasing the number of pitches he throws. This is why the team is preparing for an early opening.

Choi Won-ho, manager of the Hanwha Eagles, already said, "Ryu Hyun-jin is the starting pitcher for the opening game." This year's KBO League will open on the 23rd, not April, to facilitate a smooth league schedule. The key for Ryu, who was delayed in deciding where to go, was to improve his condition as soon as possible, but the process at the spring camp was very smooth.

The Hanwha Eagles will return to Korea on Monday after completing their spring camp in Okinawa. Ryu will play his own match against the Hanwha Eagles, which will take place at Jamsil Stadium on Tuesday. He will then play in two exhibition games, complete the final inspection, and start the opening game against the defending champion LG Twins, which will be held at Jamsil Stadium on Wednesday.