Hanwha Eagles’ Hyun-jin Ryu closed out the first half of the 2026 KBO season by being removed from the first-team roster to rest. The club took him off the active list on July 6 (a day with no scheduled game); his start planned for July 5 was rained out, so Ryu ended the first half without another appearance. In the first half he posted 8–2 with 87 2/3 innings, 70 strikeouts and a 2.67 ERA, ranking among the league leaders. Combining 1,565 KBO strikeouts and 934 MLB strikeouts, he stands at 2,499 career strikeouts — one shy of 2,500 — and both club and fans are looking forward to the milestone early in the second half.