Doosan Bears' Kim Tae-kyun (20) has returned as a closer.

On the 22nd, Kim Tae-kyun made a relief appearance in the game against the SSG Landers during the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League,' recording 1 inning, 2 hits allowed, 1 strikeout, 1 earned run, and a save.

With Doosan leading 6-4, Kim Tae-kyun took the mound in the top of the 9th inning, allowing a hit to lead-off batter Choi Jun-woo and consecutive hits to pinch hitter Choi Ji-hoon, putting him in a no outs, 1st and 2nd base crisis. Following a sacrifice fly by Jo Hyung-woo, with 1 out and runners on first and third, he allowed a 1-RBI sacrifice fly to Chae Hyun-woo. However, he secured the victory by striking out Kim Chan-hyung with 2 outs and runners on 2nd base.

Kim Tae-kyun, who joined Doosan as the 2nd overall pick in the 1st round of the 2024 rookie draft, recorded 3 wins, 2 losses, 4 holds, and 19 saves with an earned run average of 2.08 in 60 games (65 innings) during his debut season, earning the rookie of the year award. He garnered significant expectations by performing as a dominating closer from his first year.

However, this season's performance has been quite disappointing. He has recorded 7 saves with an earned run average of 3.38 in 21 games (24 innings). In May, his performance was struggling with 3 saves and an earned run average of 4.26 in 12 games (12⅔ innings). Ultimately, Doosan's director Lee Seung-yeop used Kim Tae-kyun in less pressure situations on the 14th to help him regain confidence.

Having stepped down from the closer position and without a save since the game against LG on the 7th, Kim Tae-kyun recorded 4 consecutive scoreless games from the Hanwha game on the 14th to the SSG game on the 20th, and achieved a save in this game. In a post-game interview, Kim Tae-kyun noted, "Since the team was on a 5-game losing streak, I wanted the victory more than anyone. Especially, it was a shining game for (Im) Jong-seong, who joined the team with me, so I wanted to protect it even more."

"I was briefly taken down from closing recently, so I am happy to be able to secure the team's victory again," said Kim Tae-kyun. "It is true that I felt a lot of pressure when I took the mound today. Rather than worry, I felt that I had to do well in this game because there would be a next, so I think I wanted to do well in each game."

Kim Tae-kyun, who is going through a tough May, stated, "Recently, my control was shaky, making it difficult to manage the game. Now, both my stuff and control have improved significantly. I have caused a lot of concerns for the fans lately, but seeing the event the fans held for me with my jersey number today gave me a lot of strength. Now, only good things remain for Doosan. I will repay the support with even better performances."

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