Professional baseball Samsung Lions outfielder Kim Seong-yoon, who was sidelined due to damage to his right hamstring fascia, has started his push for a return to the first team.
Kim Seong-yoon felt pain in his right hamstring during an away game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium on May 30, was substituted in the third inning for designated runner Park Seung-kyu, and was removed from the first-team roster the following day.
At the time, the club explained, "Kim Seong-yoon felt slight discomfort in the back of his right thigh from the second inning defense and was substituted for player protection right after getting on base." Kim Seong-yoon received a diagnosis of fascia damage after a detailed examination.
Manager Park Jin-man noted, "There is no issue with the muscles and tendons, but the fascia is slightly damaged. It is not as serious of an injury as expected. The return timing depends on the recovery speed."
Kim Seong-yoon went through the rehabilitation process and entered game mode on the 13th. He was a starting designated hitter against Sangmu in a Futures League home game at Gyeongsan Ballpark, recording 0 hits in 3 at-bats.
In his first at-bat in the first inning, Kim Seong-yoon was out on a fly ball to the left fielder. He led off in the third inning and was out on a ground ball to the shortstop. After recording a ground ball to second base in the fifth inning, Kim Seong-yoon was substituted for pinch hitter Kim Jae-hyung in the sixth inning during a 1st and 2nd base opportunity with one out.
Manager Park Jin-man spoke to reporters before the game against the Daegu KT Wiz on the 13th, which was canceled due to rain, stating, "Kim Seong-yoon will be in the lineup as the designated hitter today and plans to play outfield tomorrow. The rainy forecast makes it uncertain whether the game will proceed, so we will have to see how the situation develops."
Kim Seong-yoon stated that if there are no issues with running, there are plans to call him up to the first team ahead of the home game against the Doosan Bears on the 17th.
Meanwhile, Kim Seong-yoon has played in 54 games this season, recording a batting average of .358 (64 hits in 179 at-bats), 2 home runs, 26 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.929.
Samsung has struggled with lineup construction after Kim Seong-yoon was sidelined with injury, as there has not been a suitable second batter. Manager Park Jin-man expressed disappointment, saying, "Consolidation with the main batting line has not been carried out properly."
If Kim Seong-yoon recovers to normal condition and returns to the first team stage, it is expected that the quality of the lineup will improve significantly.
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