OPS 1.503 Risk of Losing Best Batter, Desperate Season Out...It's not just KIA's loss
Aug 10, 2025
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Kim Do-young was out of power on the 8th after hearing of a left hamstring muscle injury. It happened three games after returning to his second hamstring injury. He started as a third baseman against the Lotte Giants in Busan on the 7th, but he had a problem with his left leg in the process of making a ground ball catch error. MRI examination revealed swelling while muscle damage was found, so it is expected that the exact extent of the injury will be known through re-examination two to three weeks later.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho decided to consider Kim Do-young as a player without him until the end of the regular season. The club is burdened with trying to use it again this year because it is in a situation where it is already injured during the opening game, and it continues to hurt its left and right hamstrings alternately.
Kim Do-young is now a young player who is 22 years old. From a long-term perspective, it is important to manage hamstrings not to become chronic diseases.
Kim Do-young's departure is not just a loss to KIA. The Korean national baseball team also had a red light. South Korea is making all-out efforts to prepare for the 2026 tournament after suffering the humiliation of being eliminated in the first round for the third consecutive time in the 2023 WBC. Kim Do-young is expected to be the main hitter of the national team along with major leaguers such as Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers), and Kim Ha-sung (Tampa Bay Rays).
Kim Do-young did not participate in the 2023 WBC, but she participated in the 2024 WBSC Premier 12 in Taipei, Taiwan, attracting the attention of the world's media. He hit .412 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and an OPS of 1.503 in five games of the tournament.
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Nelson Cruz, who was one of the top major league players, chose Kim Do-young as the most impressive player. Cruz, who finished his 19-year big league career in 2023, had a career record of 2055 games, a batting average of 0.274, 464 homers and 1325 RBIs.
Cruz visited Taiwan to help his home country, the Dominican Republic, and after watching Kim Do-young's play, he liked the third baseman (Kim Do-young), who hit a lot of home runs. I think I can see it on the major league stage in the future. There are cases of advancing to the United States from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and I think he is a talented player. I think I'll be able to make it to the big leagues later."
In order to advance to the Major League, Kim Do-young needed to continue his performance at international competitions while consistently producing MVP season-class performances last year. The 2026 WBC is also a stage to prove that Kim Do-young's performance is not a sparkle.
Lee Jung-hoo received attention by holding a major league showcase at WBC in 2023 and succeeded in signing a six-year, $113 million (about 157.2 billion won) large contract with San Francisco in 2024. Kim Do-young also tried to follow Lee Jung-hoo's path, but now she has a question mark. This is because participating in international competitions will inevitably put more pressure on your body. KIA has no choice but to worry about Kim Do-young's transfer to the tournament because it is more important for him to play a healthy season next year.
The Korean national baseball team already hated one good option as pitcher Ahn Woo-jin (Kium Heroes) recently left due to a shoulder injury. Ahn Woo-jin was not a constant power because there were public opinions against participating in the WBC due to school violence issues in the past, but Kim Do-young is a different story. If even Kim Do-young becomes difficult to play, national team coach Ryu Ji-hyun will likely be deeply concerned about setting up his best.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
