"Opportunities have opened for my younger siblings."

KIA Tigers star hitter Choi Hyung-woo (42) made a determined statement after setting two significant records and with Kim Do-young suffering another hamstring injury. On the 27th at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, he led the team to a 7-5 victory against the Kiwoom Heroes, hitting three singles in four at-bats, including a two-run home run.

He was retired on a groundout to shortstop with two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the first inning. In his second at-bat in the third inning, he hit a single to center field, regaining his hitting feel. His third at-bat shone. It was right after Kim Do-young hit a timely single that went past the third base line with two outs and a runner on third base in the bottom of the fifth inning. He targeted a forkball from Ha Young-min and blasted a two-run home run to center field.

He decorated his third career 2,500th hit with a home run and established a record of hitting double-digit home runs for 18 consecutive years. Not stopping there, he hit a single to right field with two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the seventh inning, creating another opportunity. Afterwards, the KIA batting lineup exploded for three additional runs, laying the groundwork for a four-run big inning.

With his explosive performance that day, he returned to the top of the batting average leaderboard with a .345 average. At the age of 42, he demonstrated an unbelievable pursuit of the batting title. He is maintaining first place with an OPS of 1.067. His batting average with runners in scoring position is also .400. He said, "My hitting feel had dropped recently, but it got better again today. It's been about 3 to 4 years since I've felt this good. I was happy about reaching 2,500 hits, considering how consistent I’ve been."

Additionally, after Kim Do-young successfully stole second base with a timely single that brought in one run in the fifth inning, he was unusually substituted due to pain in his right hamstring. Kim Do-young missed 33 days due to a left hamstring injury during the opening game. Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin are also sidelined due to calf injuries. With Kim Do-young sidelined by injury again, he stated that the remaining players must do their best.

Choi Hyung-woo expressed his disappointment, saying, "I truly have nothing to say. It’s so frustrating. Why is this happening? Personally, I'm not one to make excuses. It will be tough for those who are hurt, but there’s nothing we can do now. We have to let it go. There are too many injured players. The saying that things will get better once the injured players return has become cliché. We don’t know when those injured players will come back."

He added, "Instead, there are other younger siblings. They need to fight and carry the season forward. A ridiculous opportunity has come for the current members. It’s not just for a moment. It lasts for one or two months. These friends need to go crazy for one or two months to secure their positions. Even when the main players return, they need to avoid being pushed out. Skill and luck are needed, but I ask that you do it with that mindset," encouraging the remaining players.

He ordered a good effort from the players recently called up from the second division due to numerous injuries to the regulars. This meant that fellow player Kim Do-young’s classmate Yoon Do-hyun, powerhouse Hwang Dae-in who hasn’t played in the first division for the past year with 91 RBIs, and the second Lee Seung-yeop, Kim Seok-hwan, need to breathe new life into the team by seizing their new opportunities. On that day, Kim Seok-hwan got a hit, and Hwang Dae-in made a valuable two-RBI timely hit, proving his worth.

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