KBO's Top Draft Pick Park Jun-hyun Set to Make Debut for Kiwoom Heroes

By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- Still about four months shy of his 19th birthday, right-hander Park Jun-hyun, the first overall selection at last year's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) draft, is scheduled to make his debut with the Kiwoom Heroes on Sunday. And manager Seol Jong-jin is willing to give the teenager every opportunity to earn at least another opportunity in the starting rotation. "He's the No. 1 pick for a reason, and he has a bright future ahead of him. We have high expectations," Seol said Thursday before the Heroes hosted the NC Dinos at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "If he pitches well, I'd be open to giving him another start." Seol, who had declared during spring training that he would use Park in relief this year, said he even had devised plans to use Park in middle innings once he earned his call-up from the minors. But injuries have depleted an already thin Heroes pitching staff, forcing Seol to use two spot starters this week alone. With one American starter, Nathan Wiles, out with a shoulder injury, the Heroes have signed Kenny Rosenberg, their top starter from a year ago, as a short-term injury replacement. But Rosenberg is still waiting for his visa and won't likely make a start here until next month. "Before Rosenberg joins us, we will need all the starting pitchers we can have," Seol said. "I've spoken with our minor league staff, and they recommended we give him a look up here. His control has improved, and he's been throwing hard, too." Park has struck out 21 and walked only two in 14 1/3 innings in the minors so far. In the preseason, Park gave up six walks in only 3 1/3 innings. Because Park has already been starting in the minors, he will be kept on a longer leash than other emergency starters, Seol added. "We're hoping he can give us four to five innings on up to 90 pitches," the manager said. "If the situation calls for it, we can keep him out there for even longer. He has worked five innings in a game in the minors already, and so we'll see what happens."