LG Twins foreign pitcher Plutko returns to the starting rotation. Can he pick up where he left off in July?
Plutko was announced as the starting pitcher on Aug. 8 against the Gwangju KIA. It was his first start in 14 days. He was scheduled to start against Doosan on July 30, but was unable to make it due to a cold. After suffering from a high fever, Plutko was later diagnosed with COVID-19 and had to take a few days off from the team 먹튀검증.
He is scheduled to take the mound in 14 days with a healthy body again. Plutko’s last start was on July 25 against KT Suwon.
He had enough time to recover from COVID-19 and improve his physical condition through training. Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop scheduled Plutko’s start a little later out of respect for him.
Plutko was the ace of the LG starting lineup in the first half. Last year, Plutko was the centerpiece of the starting lineup when Kelly struggled with up-and-down pitching. In 18 games this season, he is 11-2 with a 2.33 ERA. He is tied for second in wins and second in ERA.
After opening the season undefeated through June, Plutko showed some signs of fatigue in July. In three starts in July, he is 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA.
His last two outings were six-inning, three-run quality starts, but they weren’t quite what you’d expect from a two-run ERA ace.
After his last start of the first half, Plutko took about two weeks off during the All-Star break. It was hoped that he would take a longer break to rest and recharge his batteries after the first half. After his first start of the second half, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Plutko is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in two starts against KIA this season. That’s the highest ERA among the nine teams.
LG’s starting rotation was bolstered by the trade of Choi Won-tae in late July. While Kelly continues to pitch well, Choi Won-tae and Lim Chan-kyu are the third and fourth starters. Lee Jeong-yong and Lee Ji-gang have shown some stability in the bottom of the order.
Kelly has yet to regain the command he had last year, so Plutko needs to show that he is a solid number one starter.