KIA dropped a 0-1 decision to Hanwha on April 22 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park. With starter Lee Yi-ri down after just 4⅓ innings, the team used its main bullpen pitchers to hold on, but could not muster a single run.
In the top of the seventh inning, after Socrates and Byun Woo-hyuk drew back-to-back walks, KIA advanced the runners one by one on a 메이저놀이터 wild pitch when Park Chan-ho was at bat, prompting the team to replace Byun Woo-hyuk at second base with pinch-hitter Park Jung-woo in an attempt to tie the game. However, Park Chan-ho lined a ball to shallow center field, where Socrates, the third baseman, made a ridiculous throw to the plate to prevent a run from scoring. There were no more chances.
Eventually, Kia drew their swords. It’s likely that both injured players, Na Sung-beom and Kim Do-young, will return. Both players were reportedly dropped from the second team roster on the 23rd and traveled to Gwangju. The first team will make a final check on their condition before deciding whether or not to call them up, but there is a high possibility that they will be registered at the same time on the 23rd. There is nothing wrong with either player’s body.
While the return of top hitter Na Sung-beom, who hasn’t played a single game this season due to a calf injury, was somewhat expected, Kim Do-young, who has been sidelined since fracturing his metatarsal in the opening series, is expected to be called up a little sooner than expected.
KIA head coach Kim Jong-guk announced that Na Sung-bum will join the first team on the 23rd before the 22nd game against Daejeon Hanwha. After seeing him train in Gwangju, he said that if his condition is okay, he will call him up to the first team. Na played five innings of defense in the Futures League game on the 21st and seven innings of defense on the 22nd. He reportedly felt fine after the game.
“He’s a solid starter, and even after he joins the first team, he needs to play defense. It was important for him to play nine innings of normal defense. The KIA bench is not expecting any major problems as they have already played seven innings. As for the batting, it’s something you have to adjust to in the first team anyway. The second game is different from the first. The idea that it’s better to have the time to adjust here, even if it’s a little sluggish in the first game, makes sense.
When asked about Na’s timing, Kim said, “It’s about a day or two earlier than expected,” meaning that Do-young Kim will be in the first team sooner than the team originally planned. Kim, who normally plays shortstop and third base, has been playing second base in the recent Futures 토토 가입머니 즉시지급 League due to the team’s injury situation with Kim Sun-bin. Kim hasn’t played second base since joining the professional ranks. “It’s still a little awkward,” Kim said.
But it was hard to ignore the fact that he was hitting well, batting .600 with two home runs, three RBIs, and a 1.500 on-base percentage in three games in the Futures League. If his defense at second base isn’t up to snuff, he can be used at shortstop or third base, where he can provide a spark to the team’s offense. Kim Do-young’s bat also has nothing to prove in the second team, so it might be better for him to get up to speed in the first team.
Despite the loss of Kim Sun-bin to injury, the return of Choi Won-joon, Na Sung-beom, and Kim Do-young means that the KIA outfield will be closer to 100% than it was before the season. With Byun Woo-hyuk at first base and Lee Woo-sung in the outfield, the positions of Choi Won-joon and Kim Do-young have been in the spotlight recently.