Kim Seok-hwan also had a hamstring injury… It has been revealed that Kim Seok-hwan (24), a promising left-handed hitter who
the KIA considered as a potential ‘first-team insurance’, is recovering from a hamstring injury. According to a KIA official, it is not a serious level, so the hiatus is not expected to be very long. Coach Kim Jong-guk said the above before the match against Gwangju NC on the 26th. At the same time, he said, “I mainly check the fielders in the 2nd team, but there are also injured people in the Futures team.”
Kim Seok-hwan, along with Kim Do-young, is the most anticipated prospect after taking over as manager Kim Jong-guk in the 2022 season. Coach Kim Jong-guk gave the two plenty of opportunities during the spring camp practice game and exhibition game, and when the regular season started, they were nailed as the starting third baseman and left fielder for a month.
However, as neither of them could adapt, Kim Seok-hwan became a player who moved back and forth between the 1st and 2nd teams. At least, Kim Do-young was used as a backup for the first team because of his wide use, but it was fatal for Kim Seok-hwan, who had to compete with batting. And this season has arrived, and Kim Seok-hwan did not stand out at all in February and March. Elimination of opening entry.
He started this season in the Futures League. In 11 games, 10 hits in 38 at-bats, batting average 0.263, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 7 runs, OPS 0.817. However, there was no actual match after the match against LG on the 16th, and it seems that he injured his hamstring before and after that. Director Kim made it clear that he would not be able to see Kim Seok-hwan for the time being.
Kim Do-young also suffered an instep injury at the SSG match in Incheon on the 2nd and went to rehabilitation after being on the operating table. When he gets a re-examination in two weeks, the timetable for his return is likely to come out. Still, coming back in the first half isn’t easy. When you come back in the second half, you have to compete with your existing seniors.
Kim Seok-hwan is also fatally injured. KIA is in a situation where Hwang Dae-in and Byun Woo-hyuk cannot hit sharply after the opening. The two reported hits side by side in the Gwangju NC game on the 26th, but the long hits are few, and the average is 1-2%. On this day, they took charge of the corner infield side by side and entered the batting order 6-7, but the synergy was minimal.
In this situation, the presence of Kim Seok-hwan, who can play left fielder and first baseman at the same time, is a must for KIA, which is going through the early stages of the long-term race. For KIA, Kim Seok-hwan is a sore finger. If it is difficult to get Kim Seok-hwan to compete in the first team for the time being, Hwang Dae-in and Byun Woo-hyuk will eventually have to work harder. 안전놀이터