The postponement of Kim Do-young's return is also painful, but Kwak Do-gyu's surgery is too shocking for KIA, which is trying to win the championship

Apr 14, 2025

Kak Do-kyu, who took the mound at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 28th, allowed two runs with two walks and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kwak Do-gyu is in trouble. Daejeon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.3.28/

The news of Kim Do-young is sad, but Kwak Do-gyu's surgery is more shocking.

At the beginning of the KIA Tigers' 2025 season, it doesn't work out at all. It's full of news that I haven't been waiting for.

KIA, the unified champion of last season, was evaluated as the 'absolute first place' again this year. With his winning record almost intact, he re-signed Ace Nail, and new foreign players Oller and Wisdom were expected to double their power. Jang Hyun-sik was worried about the must-win group, but he was applauded for bringing Cho Sang-woo, a former Kiwoom Heroes closer, with a shrewd move.

However, the worst situation was produced from the opening. Kim Do-young, who emerged as MVP and the league's best star last season, has given him a hamstring. On top of that, Park Chan-ho was out for more than 10 days due to a knee injury, and the ball-hand hit was big. Kia, which failed to overcome this shock, began to fall from the beginning of the season.

When Park Chan-ho returned, Kim Sun-bin left due to a calf injury. Jo Sang-woo, who was in anticipation, also had a bad pitching, and the pitching of the Pilseungjo was not as good as last year. In the end, KIA suffered the humiliation of falling to the bottom even though it was only for one day on the 12th.

The opening match between NC and KIA at Gwangju KIA Champions Field on the 22nd, KIA Kim Do-young hit a hit and went to first base in the bottom of the third inning, and is being replaced with leg pain. Gwangju = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.03.22/

Tuesday was an important day for KIA when there was no baseball game. Kim Do-young, who has been out for nearly a month due to a hamstring injury, decided to undergo a final examination ahead of her return. Since the player said he was not sick, it was a scenario in which he played a little bit in the second division after the final test and returned at the weekend. It was Kim Do-young, the best card to change the team atmosphere that has recently been stagnant.

But unexpected news flew in. The injury has not fully recovered, so it is like a bolt from the blue to watch the condition for another week or so. Even if he is diagnosed with a complete recovery from the reexamination a week later, his return to next weekend became the best scenario at the earliest considering the actual digestion.

In the meantime, even more shocking is that Kwak Do-gyu, who fell out due to elbow pain, gets on the operating table. Kwak Do-gyu was removed from the entry on the 12th due to damage to his left elbow flexor muscle. Initially, it was not expected to be a major injury, but MRI detailed examination revealed that he was diagnosed with left ganglion flexor muscle and ligament damage. It was a big problem because there was a problem with ligaments as well as flexor muscles. As a young player, he had to undergo ligament reconstruction in the long run.

KIA Cho Sang-woo, who passed the game between KIA and Lotte at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 9th, is hugging Kwak Do-gyu after allowing no runs with two outs and runners on the first and second bases in the bottom of the eighth inning. Busan = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.04.09/

Kwak Do-gyu showed promise after joining the 2023 season and contributed greatly to the championship by being reborn as a must-win team last season. He was the core of KIA's iron wall bullpen with four wins, two losses and 16 holds and two saves in 72 games. In particular, he made a strong impression with powerful pitches in the Korean Series. However, the signs were not good with a 13.50 ERA in nine games this season. It's because there was a big problem with the elbow.

It could be more shocking for KIA than Kim Do-young's inability to return. Kim Do-young will return soon, and while he was away, Byun Woo-hyuk transformed into a 'RBI Machine' to minimize the gap.

However, no one can easily fill Kwak Do-gyu's vacancy. It is a huge negative for the team's power that the left-hander specialist and the must-win group, which comes out at the most important moment regardless of left or right, is absent. Moreover, as mentioned above, if the KIA must-win team's performance is not the same as last year, Kwak Do-gyu's departure will be even more fatal. It is a bigger blow for a team that is aiming for the top spot and challenging to win the championship.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.