"Just in case, I took a day off."
Kia Tigers infielder Yoon Do-hyun (22) hit a home run and also performed a tying hit, but was removed from the starting lineup just a day later. After feeling tightness in his thigh during the previous game, he was immediately substituted. Although the examination at the hospital showed no issues, he was removed from the lineup as a precaution.
Kia announced the starting lineup for its game against the Kiwoom Heroes on June 29 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. The lineup included Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Gyu-sung (third base), Oh Sun-woo (right field), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Kim Seok-hwan (left field), Hwang Dae-in (first base), Hong Jong-pyo (second base), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Kim Ho-ryeong (center field).
Yoon Do-hyun was a key player in the 13-7 victory on the 28th, hitting a solo home run to close the gap and a tying hit. He displayed signs of a rebound in hitting, delivering a tying hit with two outs and three runners on base in the sixth inning before heading to the dugout after rounding first to take a look at second base. Immediately after, he felt a slight twinge in his thigh.
As he touched his thigh, the base coach signaled to the dugout, and head coach Son Seung-rak and the athletic trainer rushed out to immediately substitute him. Although Yoon Do-hyun said he was fine, he was sent to the dugout out of precaution. The expression of despair on manager Lee Beom-ho's face, worried about yet another hamstring injury following Kim Do-young, was captured on the broadcast.
Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin are out due to calf muscle injuries, Patrick Wisdom has back pain, and Kim Do-young is sidelined with a right hamstring injury. Prior to this, Park Jung-woo was also removed from the roster due to a hamstring injury. The recent call-up of Yoon Do-hyun to fill in for his friend Kim Do-young was met with concern over the possibility of another injury.
Fortunately, there were no major issues, and he underwent ice treatment without a hospital examination. Nevertheless, the team conducted a thorough examination at Seonhan Hospital in Gwangju on June 29. After receiving the opinion that there were no significant problems, manager Lee breathed a sigh of relief. Still, perhaps not feeling completely at ease, he instructed for Yoon Do-hyun to be excluded from the lineup and to stay on the bench.
Manager Lee noted, "They said not to worry, but just in case, I had him take a break today. There's also a psychological aspect. After assessing his condition, he can go out if a chance for a pinch hit arises later. (Regarding the broadcast scene) He seemed to have many thoughts during the game. He might have made that expression out of concern over possibly getting injured again. Thankfully, it seems like there’s nothing wrong, allowing me to rest a little easier," he said with a smile.
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