4 pitchers out… APBC national team roster: Choi Min-seok and Shin Young-woo out due to injury, 2 Samsung players excluded
Four pitchers are reportedly dropping out of the APBC national team. Choi Min-seok and Shin Young-woo have elbow injuries, while Bae Chan-seung and Jang Chan-hee are out due to the rule for teams advancing to the Korean Series. The national team will not make any additional selections.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
The gap between 33 and 28 players is 5. Newspim reports that the APBC national team roster KBO announced on October 13 has 33 players, but only 28 can go to the tournament. Of the 5 spots that need to be cut, 4 have been outlined by the November 2 announcement and the manager's explanation. All four are pitchers. However, the reasons for leaving differ. Two are out due to injury, and the other two are leaving because of their clubs' schedules.
APBC roster departure reasons: 2 due to injury, 2 excluded under the rule
KBO official announcementIn an announcement, the Strength Enhancement Committee said on November 2 that it had confirmed the absence of Doosan's Choi Min-seok and NC's Shin Young-woo, "both of whom suffered right elbow injuries," from the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC). Choi Min-seok (20) is reported to have a right elbow sprain. Shin Young-woo (22) was found to have partial damage to his elbow during a regular checkup after the season ended. He reportedly cannot throw for about a month after receiving an injection.
Bae Chan-seung (20) and Jang Chan-hee's cases are different. OSEN reports that manager Choi Won-ho also said on the same day that the two players would be leaving because Samsung had advanced to the Korean Series, and he made no mention of injuries. Two are out due to injury, and two are out because of the Korean Series. The KBO announcement issued that day does not include the exclusion of Samsung players. Hans Economy wrote that they had already withdrawn, while E-Today wrote that they were set to be excluded, so it has not yet been confirmed whether this has been officially finalized.
Choi Min-seok's salary of 63 million won… comparing the salaries of the three pitchers who dropped out
Choi Min-seok was born on July 2, 2006, and is 20 years old. After graduating from Seoul High School, he was drafted by Doosan with the 16th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2025 rookie draft. His signing bonus was 150 million won. In the 2026 season, he took on the starting one-two punch role alongside Kwak Bin, posting 14 wins, 5 losses, 3.20 ERA and pitching 146⅓ innings. He also won an Asian Games gold medal. Win rankings vary by outlet: Chosun Ilbo listed him 2nd, while Yonhap News' final standings listed him 3rd.
Salaries of the three departing pitchers for the 2026 season (based on KBO player profiles)
| Rank | Player | Age | Team | 2026 Salary | Signing Bonus | Reason for Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bae Chan-seung | 20 | Samsung | 90 million won | 400 million won | Korean Series qualifier rule |
| 2 | Choi Min-seok | 20 | Doosan | 63 million won | 150 million won | Right elbow sprain |
| 3 | Shin Young-woo | 22 | NC | 33 million won | 250 million won | Partial right elbow damage |
Of the three, the player with the highest salary is Bae Chan-seung (90 million won) at about 2.7 times Shin Young-woo's (33 million won) (9,000÷3,300). The three players' performances this year are also notable. Bae Chan-seung appeared in 56 games, posting a 2.25 ERA with 10 holds. Shin Young-woo recorded a 2.86 ERA over 42 games with a .154 opponents' batting average. This table compares only the three players mentioned in the article and is not a league-wide salary ranking.
One more player to be cut without additional selections… 5 KIA players join on November 6
On November 2, manager Choi Won-ho said he would not select replacement players. "So the situation is that only one more player needs to be excluded without any additional selections," he said. Four out of 33 leaves 29, so cutting just one more player brings it to 28. The manager said he would remove one more pitcher, and the final roster submission deadline was reported as November 11. This deadline has not yet been confirmed by other outlets.
Remaining national team schedule
| Date | Schedule |
|---|---|
| November 2 | First official training at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon |
| November 6 | Five KIA players join; practice game against Sangmu |
| November 9 | Departure for Japan |
| November 12 | Group stage vs. Australia (Tokyo Dome) |
| November 13 | Group stage vs. Japan |
| November 14 | Group stage vs. Taiwan |
Who the final player to be excluded will be has not yet been decided. Yonhap News reports that the five KIA players who played in the playoffs will only join on November 6. The manager also said he would check the physical condition of players arriving late.
Shin Young-woo is reportedly unable to pitch for about a month. The final roster may change further. The roster that started at 33 players now needs only 1 more player to be cut.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Why was Choi Min-seok left out of the APBC national team?
Because he injured his right elbow. On November 2, KBO officially confirmed Choi Min-seok's absence along with Shin Young-woo's.
Q. What are Choi Min-seok's age and salary?
He was born on July 2, 2006, and is 20 years old. Based on KBO player profiles, his 2026 season salary is 63 million won, and his signing bonus was 150 million won.
Q. What is South Korea's APBC game schedule?
The tournament runs from November 12 to 15 at Tokyo Dome, with South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia participating. South Korea will play Australia on the 12th, Japan on the 13th, and Taiwan on the 14th in the group stage.
Related official websites
- KBO official website — Check KBO announcements and news
- KBO official pitching records — Look up season records for Choi Min-seok, Shin Young-woo, and Bae Chan-seung
- Samsung Lions official website — Samsung Lions team news
Representative image · Stock photo · Not an on-site photo of the game described in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Seohae1999), CC BY-SA 4.0
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