Kim Gyeong-moon, manager of the Hanwha Eagles, released shocking clarifications on the 27th that behind "Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin's humiliating early exit after just 2 innings against LG and the mysterious situation of Lee Hyeong-beom's bases-loaded appearance on the 23rd, there lay the troubling news of Ryu Hyun-jin's "arm stiffness."
Manager Kim revealed that Ryu Hyun-jin's arm stiffness symptoms have recently caused a critical "butterfly effect" on team operations and the ace's poor performance. Manager Kim stated, "Ryu Hyun-jin's arm stiffness symptoms were the 'butterfly effect' that led to Lee Hyeong-beom being brought into the bases-loaded crisis," suggesting the fundamental background behind Ryu Hyun-jin's recent struggles and early exit from the mound.
Two days earlier on the 25th, in a home game against the LG Twins held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ball Park, Ryu Hyun-jin showed a shocking performance. In the first inning, he allowed Park Hae-min's go-ahead two-run homer and a total of 2 home runs, and in the second inning, he surrendered a timely hit to Park Hae-min again before coming off the mound after just 2 innings. This was the minimum innings exit Ryu Hyun-jin had recorded in a year. With Ryu Hyun-jin's poor performance rendering his "LG Killer" nickname meaningless, LG unleashed 14 hits that day and won 15-11, breaking their lengthy 8-game losing streak.
Ryu Hyun-jin's arm stiffness symptoms also had an impact in the KIA Tigers game on the 23rd. At that time, Manager Kim made a bold decision to bring in relief pitcher Lee Hyeong-beom in a life-or-death bases-loaded crisis. Regarding this, Manager Kim clarified on this day that "it wasn't intentional," indirectly suggesting that Ryu Hyun-jin's arm condition was undergoing subtle changes at the time.