Another injury on the way to 100% strength. The KIA Tigers have a lot of bad news for the 2023 season.
Kim Sun-bin (34), the captain and main second baseman, is expected to be out of the lineup. He injured the thumb on his right hand while fielding a hard hit ball from Jason Martin in the top of the fourth inning against the Gwangju NC Dinos on April 17. After being taken to the hospital, an X-ray revealed a suspected fracture. He will travel to Seoul on the 19th for a second opinion. Depending on the condition, it could be difficult for him to return for the rest of the first half.
Kim had a batting average of 0.302 in 54 games. He did a good job of creating scoring opportunities in the bottom of the order. He also served as a defensive leader in the center field line.
KIA will play in the Futures League next week after starting right fielder and leadoff hitter Na Sung-beom dealt with an off-season left calf injury. Second-year infield prospect Kim Do-young is also set to return after suffering a right ankle injury in the second game of the opening two-game series against SSG Landers. He is expected to join 메이저놀이터 the first team in early July after taking part in defensive training.
KIA did well without Na Sung-bum. They struggled with low scoring until the second week of April, but have since picked up. Choi Hyung-woo, Ryu Ji-hyuk, Sotrates Brito, and Kim Sun-bin led the offense, maintaining a triple-digit batting average.
Add in Na Sung-beom, and the team was considered the hottest offense in the 10 clubs. But then came the injury to Kim Sun-bin. On June 14, KIA lost their starting catcher Han Seung-taek to an adductor tear.
Since entering June, the team has been underperforming in terms of offense. They have repeatedly lost one-run games. It was said that the offensive cohesion needed to be better. This was compounded by the loss of Kim Sun-bin. 안전사이트
Kim Kyu-sung is expected to take over the vacant second base spot for the time being. Once Kim returns, the team can try to organize the position once again. The “current” third baseman Ryu Ji-hyuk, who has experience at second base, will be moved, and Kim Do-young, who logged 407 innings at third base last season, is the most likely candidate. Of course, depending on Kim’s performance, Kim Kyu-sung, who has been a good backup all season, could get more opportunities.