It was a dizzying day for the Samsung Lions in professional baseball. Already in 'survival' mode due to numerous injuries, the team's top two hitters were hit by pitches and had to be replaced. Fortunately, they avoided the worst-case scenario with mere bruises, but there are concerns about potential aftereffects.

Samsung lost 1-3 against Hanwha on the 6th, suffering its second four-game losing streak of the season. While losing streaks can happen over a long season, what is even more concerning is the injury replacements of Koo Ja-wook and Kang Min-ho.

Star hitter Koo Ja-wook was hit on the elbow by a pitch from Hanwha's starter Ryu Hyun-jin. In the third inning, with two outs and no runners on base, Ryu's first pitch, a fastball at 145 km/h, came in deeply on the inside and struck Koo's right elbow guard.

Koo Ja-wook, who had no chance to dodge the pitch, jumped up in shock and fell to the ground. Ryu came down from the mound to express his apologies, and Koo, enduring the pain, continued to run and even scored a run, but was replaced by Kim Tae-keun before defense in the third inning and was headed to the hospital.

As if that weren't enough, Samsung's catcher Kang Min-ho was also hit by a pitch during the eighth inning defense. He took a powerful foul ball from Chae Eun-sung to the left knee. Although it was a foul, it barely grazed the end of the bat, and it was almost the same as being hit by Baek Chan-seung's fastball at 146 km/h. It was on a part with a knee guard, but it was difficult to absorb all the pain.

Kang Min-ho, who holds the KBO League's all-time record for most games played at 2,404, is well known for being resilient against injuries. He usually plays through minor pains, but he couldn't do so on this day. Limping off the field, he was replaced by defensive substitute Kim Jae-sung.

Fortunately, both players avoided the worst-case scenario. Koo Ja-wook's hospital examination revealed a simple bruise on his elbow, but he was advised that he would experience pain for a few days. Kang Min-ho also had a simple bruise on his knee and is undergoing icing and treatment. It's fortunate that neither has a broken bone, but due to pain and swelling, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to play normally in the game against Hanwha on the 7th.

Samsung has been unable to field its best lineup this year due to injuries. Even before the season started, relief pitcher Kim Mu-shin was ruled out for the season due to elbow Tommy John surgery, and slugger outfielder Lee Seung-kyu was sidelined with a side injury. Foreign pitcher Denny Reyes also couldn't enter the opening-day starting rotation due to a stress fracture in his metatarsals.

Injuries have continued even after the opening. Veteran Lim Chang-min from the bullpen was placed on the disabled list on the 19th of last month due to elbow bone fragment pain, and rookie Lee Jae-hee, who had been showing promise in the new winning lineup, received advice for elbow Tommy John surgery after the game against NC in Daegu on the 25th of last month, ruling him out for the season.

In the outfield, center fielder Kim Ji-chan (hamstring), third baseman Kim Young-woong (calf), and outfielder Kim Heon-gon (back) were injured and sidelined last week. Already in a grueling nine-game series scheduled due to Children's Day on Monday, injuries continue to pile up, making May a challenging month. With a record of 19 wins, 17 losses, and 1 tie, and a margin of +2, the situation is still manageable, but the repeated injuries have heightened the sense of crisis.

Samsung's manager Park Jin-man is repeatedly asked about injured players in pre-game interviews. Before the game on the 5th, he said, "Kim Young-woong is scheduled to return in 10 days, but we need to keep an eye on Kim Ji-chan. Kim Heon-gon has had previous issues with his back, so he might return in 10 days or it could take longer. May is the most crucial period, and we need to hold on well."

Before the game on the 6th, Manager Park stated, "Lim Chang-min is planning to return around the end of May," and added, "Even with many injured players and an imbalance in pitching and hitting, I think we're holding up well. If the injured players join back, our hitting and defense will improve significantly. We must manage with the players we have and get through this period well."

However, with Koo Ja-wook and Kang Min-ho being hit by pitches and replaced on that day, Manager Park had to provide another briefing about injured players before the game on the 7th.

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