WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - CHINESE TAIPEI VS AUSTRALIA

March 5, 2026

Hai-Jiu Tseng

Tokyo Dome

Team Chinese Taipei

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Tell us about the condition of Li Haoyu, the infielder who was supposed to be your third baseman. How do you maintain and how do you manage your team and how do you react?

HAI-JUI TSENG: Yes, first of all, I'd like to say good morning to all of you. And this did happen for him. It's something that we do not deserve, and he's probably most disappointed on his own. So as a team, we've been talking since last night, and we are going to -- well, there was a slight possibility of him playing but his previous team, the Tigers, is asking him to come back to Chinese Taipei.

So overall, we are going to make a decision to substitute him for tinge is going to take his placement Nien-Ting Wu is going to take the infielder spot for Li Haoyu.

Q. So how do you evaluate his condition, his previous condition? We heard that he got hurt on his lower left ribs.

HAI-JUI TSENG: Yesterday, he's gone for an MRI examination, and he has a slight injury for the left side, lower ribs. And his previous team is asking him to come back to Chinese Taipei. That's what had happened.

Q. Your starting third second baseman is supposed to take the No. 2 spot. So who is going to take his spot?

HAI-JUI TSENG: Yes, our previous games, Li Haoyu was in our No. 2 slot. The reason why we put him in the No. 2 slot is because he came from the USA, so I'd like him to have as many at-bat as possible. So for the second base spot, one of the other players is capable of taking his place.

Q. Tell us more about Li Haoyu, is he soon going to be returning to your country or is he staying in Tokyo a little bit longer?

HAI-JUI TSENG: We are not confirming yet officially. We are trying to ask the team to hold him here in Tokyo but we are not for sure yet. And Li Haoyu himself, he would like to be staying here as part of the national team. So that's still in process.

Q. This substitution change was kind of a last minute accident. Throughout the accident, did your teammates have any official conversation internally?

HAI-JUI TSENG: Like you mentioned, yes, this was an accident and no one expected it happened. So yesterday we were kind of jammed because he had to go to doctor can get some MRI examination. So not only him but the entire team was disappointed. So as of now we are trying to focus on what we can do from now. As one team, we represent we represent Chinese Taipei, so we are trying to get tight as one team to focus for today's game.