A free agent, who was mentioned as having a potential contract worth up to 10 billion won, collapsed due to an injury. At a time when the bat, which had been silent in the early part of the season, was gradually coming alive, the ankle was twisted, increasing the viewers' disappointment.

Professional baseball player Kang Baek-ho of the KT Wiz started as the designated hitter in the No. 5 spot in the 7th game of the season against the Doosan Bears in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, held on the 27th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, and suffered an injury in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Kang Baek-ho came to bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 4th inning with a score of 0-0, hitting a single to center field, and advanced to third base on Jang Seong-woo's double. With no outs and runners on second and third, Heo Gyeong-min popped out to short right field, and Kim Sang-su's would-be hit was caught by second baseman Kang Seung-ho's diving catch. At that moment, Kang Baek-ho rushed back to third base and twisted his right ankle on the third base.

Kang Baek-ho signaled urgently towards the bench immediately after the injury. This indicated that the pain was considerable. An ambulance quickly came into the left field of KT Wiz Park, and after some first aid, Kang Baek-ho managed to get up by himself but walked into the dugout with the trainer's support. Moon Sang-cheol was brought in as a pinch runner at third base.

A KT official, who reported on the player’s condition, said, 'Kang Baek-ho experienced pain in his right ankle during the return to third base and was moved to the hospital. He is expected to undergo an examination.' When reporters asked about the results of the examination after the game, the official noted, 'We have not yet received any communication regarding the examination from the training department.' The detailed condition of Kang Baek-ho's ankle is expected to be mentioned in a coach briefing before the game against Doosan on the 28th.

Kang Baek-ho ended a long search and finally regained the appearance of a genius hitter last year. He participated in every game (144 games) for the first time since his debut, achieving a batting average of .289 with 159 hits, 26 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 92 runs scored, helping the team advance to the miraculous semi-playoffs. He hit 25 home runs, seven years after his debut season (29 home runs), and surpassed 95 RBIs for the first time in three years since the 2021 season (102 RBIs).

According to the player salary contracts announced by KT in January for the 2025 season, Kang Baek-ho signed a contract worth 700 million won, up from his previous salary of 290 million won, representing a 141.4% increase (410 million won). This was the highest rate of increase and the highest increase in franchise history.

As Kang Baek-ho entered the preliminary free agent season, his value was discussed at 10 billion won even before the season opened, reflecting significant interest. Since he is not in the posting system but rather as a free agent, the possibility of entering the Major Leagues was also raised. Kang Baek-ho, who expressed dreams of playing abroad since the start of his career, even received an inquiry about his status from Major League Baseball along with Kim Hye-sung, who achieved success in the Major Leagues on October 31 last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, the preliminary free agent season has not gone as Kang Baek-ho wished. Currently, after 43 games this season, he has a batting average of .255 (157 at-bats, 40 hits), 7 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 15 runs scored, which is below expectations.

After the season opened, starting with a March monthly batting average of .194, he showed improvement in April with a batting average of .296, but in May, his batting average dropped again to .254. During this period, he exhibited signs of awakening, hitting with a batting average of .379 over the last 10 games, but at this unfortunate timing, an unexpected injury challenged him.

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