Three injuries in one day. The Kia Tigers, who have been plagued by injuries since the beginning of the season, have had more problems.
The Lee Bum-ho-led Kia Tigers came from behind to win the second game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League against the LG Twins 5-4 on Tuesday at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field to stay in the lead. The team improved to 10-4 (.714) on the season.
The bullpen combined for 7⅔ innings and allowed just one run. Second starter Kim Gun-guk pitched three innings of three-hit ball with one walk and one strikeout, while third starter Lee Joon-young (⅔ innings) and a no-hit relay of Kwak Do-gyu (1⅓ innings), Jang Hyun-sik (⅔ innings), Jeon Sang-hyun (1 inning), and Jeong Hae-young (1 inning) shut down the LG bats.
At the plate, leadoff hitter Kim Do-young had three hits, including two doubles, and No. 2 hitter Kim Sun-bin went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Choi Won-joon, who started in the No. 7 spot and played center field, also did his part with four hits, two doubles, one RBI, and one run scored, while Seo Gun-chang, who came off the bench, went 1-for-1 with one hit, one walk, and one run scored.
But when left-hander Lee Yi-ri, who started the game against LG foreign pitcher Dietrick Enns, was pulled from the mound after giving up three runs on five hits and four walks with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings due to left elbow discomfort, no one saw it coming.
Lee went straight to the team’s designated hospital, where he was examined and diagnosed with a left ulnar flexor sprain. Although he avoided major injury, he will need to rest and focus on his recovery after being removed from the first team roster on November 11th. Kia will have to settle for a starting lineup without him for the time being.
Kia’s ordeal didn’t end there. Shortstop Park Min, who was starting at shortstop in place of Park Chan-ho, who was sent to the second team due to back swelling, went down. In the top of the sixth inning, Park crashed into the third base fence while chasing down a foul ball by Shin Min-jae, and was unable to get up for a while before eventually taking an ambulance to the hospital.
After a medical examination, Park was diagnosed with a medial vastus lateralis injury in his left knee and will need three weeks of rehabilitation. Along with Lee, Park is expected to be removed from the first team roster on Nov. 11.
Not only Lee Bum-ho, but also Son Seung-raek, the head coach of the Future team, breathed a sigh of relief. While the first team was in the 토토사이트 middle of a game, the Future Team also suffered an injury. Yoon Do-hyun, a promising infield prospect, left the lineup.
The KIA Future Team was playing a Futures League game against the Sangsang (Armed Forces Sports Organization) in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Yoon, who started at third base and shortstop, hit a double in his second at-bat and was injured while sliding to third base. A medical examination revealed a fracture of the metacarpal bone in his left hand, and he will undergo a second examination at Seoul Micro Orthopedic Surgery Center on Nov. 11.
After suffering a side injury at the end of the second spring training, Yoon focused on taking care of his body and had recently been playing in the Futures League to improve his game, but this injury has put another brake on his return to the first team.
KIA, which was unable to field a full team last year due to a series of injuries, is facing a similar situation this season.
First, outfielder Na Sung-beom suffered a hamstring injury during an exhibition game. During an exhibition game against KT on March 17, Na Sung-bum felt unwell while playing first base and was diagnosed with a partial injury to his right hamstring. As a result, he failed to make the opening roster for the second consecutive year.
The injury news continued after the start of the regular season. Infielder Hwang Dae-in suffered a hamstring injury, and infielder Park Chan-ho was removed from the roster due to back swelling. Pitcher Lim Ki-young is out with a micro-injury to his left adductor muscle.
While Park Chan-ho’s injury is not severe enough to warrant a call-up after 10 days on the disabled list, the others will need more time. Hwang Dae-in and Lim Ki-young are unlikely to return before April, and in Hwang’s case, he’s not even guaranteed to return in the first half of the season.
Kia made a concerted effort to prevent injuries during the off-season. Even in spring training, the team was determined to have an injury-free season, and the players entered the new season with a sense of urgency. However, the coaching staff became increasingly worried after a series of injuries.