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| Coach Lee Bum-ho comes to the ground to protest against Lotte Na Kyun-an during a game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 9th and KIA Wisdom at the top of the 5th inning with one out. Busan = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.04.09/ |
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Why is April's schedule so tough.
It feels like a portrait collection. However, the future schedule is also not easy. Depending on how you endure the rest of April, the direction of the KIA Tigers this season is expected to be completely different.
He was the reigning unified champion last year. It was praised that it would be the first place again this year. The winning record was almost maintained, and foreign players were evaluated to have become stronger. Coach Lee Bum-ho's leadership, which was well received for his meticulous team management beyond expectations even in the early season, was expected to rise further.
However, it was twisted from the beginning. Superstar Kim Do-young suffered a hamstring injury in the opening game. The team's atmosphere was shaken by an unexpected fatal hit. To make matters worse, on the first day of the three consecutive games next week, Park Chan-ho injured his knee while stealing. When Park Chan-ho returned, Kim Sun-bin left due to a calf injury.
While Yang Hyun-jong and Yoon Young-chul were sluggish, the starting team was also unstable, there were many players who were not in 100% condition. Unlike KIA last year, it fell to the bottom by shaking in both pitching and hitting. He won the match against SSG Landers on the 13th, barely rising to ninth place.
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| The game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 9th, and KIA right fielder Na Sung-beom, with two outs and runners on the first and third bases in the bottom of the third inning, is regretful after losing a point because he failed to catch Lotte Jeon Jun-woo's ball. Busan = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.04.09/ |
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We have to cheer up, but bad news is coming. First of all, Kim Do-young, who was expected to return around this time, was judged to have not fully recovered as a result of the examination. The original plan was to play in the second division last week and return to the game against KT Wiz on the 15th. There is no need to overdo this plan"It was delayed, but from there, the period of treatment and rehabilitation was extended. It's a reexamination in a week, and there's no problem there, so the best scenario is to return next weekend after technical-real-time training. This means that even then, if the recovery is not complete, the period of departure may be longer. Then April is gone. Hamstrings do not recover completely, and if used again excessively, the probability of recurrence is too high. No matter how urgent it is, it is Lee's will not make dangerous choices for the future of both players and the team.
On top of that, Kwak Do-gyu, a left-hander, collapsed. Kwak Do-gyu, who was canceled due to pain in his left elbow on the 12th, delivered even more shocking news. There is enough damage to the ligament to undergo ligament reconstruction. It's actually out of the season. There is left-hander bullpen Choi Ji-min, but Kwak Do-kyu is a key bullpen that will take charge of the most important moment beyond the left-handed batter's opponent. His absence is bound to be painful.
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| Kak Do-kyu, who took the mound at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 28th, is preparing to pitch. Daejeon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.3.28/ |
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Meanwhile, the April match is also tough. It will play three consecutive games against KT Wiz at home from the 15th. Kang Team, who was mentioned as a candidate for the top spot. Although the batting line has slowed down, the pitching power is certainly good and the bat seems to be recovering little by little recently. Last weekend, I caught both games against my opponent Samsung Lions.
He will then play three consecutive games against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil. Doosan's poor performance in the early stages could be a chance to rebound? There are variables. Doosan did not play three consecutive games during the week due to the aftermath of the Changwon NC Park disaster. I got enough rest unintentionally. If it had been as planned, there is a high possibility that you will meet all the foreigners who would not have met. He is also inferior in physical strength. In particular, KIA has to play three consecutive games during the week and even move from Gwangju to Seoul.
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| KIA-LG match held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 6th. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho greets LG's dugout before the game. Jamsil = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.4.6/ |
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After a week like this, the next week is more troublesome. Six consecutive games against the favorite Samsung Lions and LG Twins are waiting. It is a Daegu-Gwangju schedule. Samsung is actually strong, but it's more burdensome when you meet in Daegu. It's hell for pitchers. Pitchers who visit Lions Park for the first time in a long time are struggling without realizing it. There is no need to explain the difficulties against LG this year. Like KIA last season, it has been the subject of fear among all teams with a tremendous rise from the beginning of the opening. The starting rotation luck is also not expected. Lim Chan-kyu, the fourth starter, and Song Seung-ki, the fifth starter, are scarier than the first and second starters of other teams.
Depending on how you play these 12 games, KIA's season can be completely different. If it collapses here, it can be really difficult to join the top fight. On the contrary, in the midst of difficulties, if you only get a winning rate of more than 50%, it is worth changing the atmosphere and aiming for a turnaround. It is urgent to hold out until Kim Do-young returns.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
