The return of Na Sung-beom (34) and Kim Do-young (20) has brought devastating news to the KIA Tigers, who were only dreaming 먹튀검증 of completing their roster. Captain Kim Sun-bin (34) will be out of the lineup for about four weeks with a fractured thumb.
On the 19th, the KIA team announced, “Kim Sun-bin underwent a medical examination and was found to have a fractured thumb on his right hand. He will undergo stabilization and rehabilitation treatment for four weeks and will be re-examined two weeks from today to check whether his symptoms have improved.”
Kim was hit by a hard hit by Jason Martin while fielding in the top of the fourth inning against the Gwangju NC Dinos on the 17th. He was immediately replaced by Kim Kyu-sung and diagnosed with a suspected fracture, which was confirmed in Seoul on the same day.
This is devastating news for KIA. This season, Kim has been the primary second baseman, batting .302 (54-for-179) with 18 RBIs and an OPS of .736 in 54 games, anchoring an up-and-down KIA lineup. With his departure, backup utility players like Kim Kyu-sung and Choi Jung-yong are expected to fill in.
KIA was set to complete its beast before the All-Star break as Choi Won-jun, 26, recently returned from the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce) and Na Sung-beom and Kim Do-young, who have been sidelined by injury, could return in early July at the latest. Na hasn’t played a game this season after suffering a sore left calf during the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. Kim Do-young felt pain in his left foot while coming home from the opening series against SSG Landers on April 2 and was diagnosed with a metatarsal fracture.
The two are currently in the final stages of rehabilitation at Hampyeong’s KIA Challengers Field and will start playing in Futures League games this week to get a feel for the game. Na is expected to return in late June at the earliest, and Kim in early July. However, with the departure of starting second baseman Kim Sun-bin around the time of their return, the team’s full complement will have to wait until later.
Meanwhile, the club also designated outfielder Kim Ho-ryung (31) for assignment on the same day. This season, the KIA outfield has been filled with explosive 메이저놀이터 추천 hitting from Choi Hyung-woo, Socrates Brito, and Lee Woo-seong. Backups Lee Chang-jin and Ko Jong-wook have also played well, leaving Kim Ho-ryung’s spot in the lineup limited to either center field or pinch-hitting. Thanks to the offense led by the outfield, KIA is in sixth place with 27 wins, one loss and 31 ties as of the 19th, two games behind the fifth-place Doosan Bears.