Professional baseball Hanwha Eagles 'captain' Chae Eun-seong (35) was substituted due to injury from a collision at first base.
Chae Eun-seong started as the fifth batter and first baseman in an away game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 26th and collided with opposing batter Yang Do-geun during the first inning.
With one out and no runners on base, Yang Do-geun executed a surprise bunt on the second pitch. Hanwha pitcher Moon Dong-ju charged forward to field the ball, but the throw to first base sailed over Chae Eun-seong's head.
In the process, Chae Eun-seong stretched out his left arm to catch the ball and collided hard with Yang Do-geun, who was sprinting toward first base. Chae Eun-seong was focused on the ball, and Yang Do-geun was also giving it all he had in his sprint to first.
As they were both playing, there was no room to avoid each other, resulting in a strong collision. Both fell to the ground simultaneously. Yang Do-geun got up shortly after, but Chae Eun-seong remained on the ground for a while, complaining of pain.
As Yang Do-geun accelerated toward first base, Chae Eun-seong bore the full weight of that momentum. Ultimately, Chae Eun-seong was substituted out for defensive replacement Kim Tae-yean.
According to the Hanwha organization, Chae Eun-seong was substituted out as a precaution due to chest pain. He is currently in a situation where he is regaining his breath, and there are no plans for hospital treatment.
Chae Eun-seong, a key player for Hanwha, has a batting average of .291 with 77 hits in 265 at-bats, 11 home runs, and 39 RBIs over 74 games this season. He has been carrying his hitting momentum with a batting average of .371 (13 hits in 35 at-bats), including a home run against Samsung on the previous day (25th) and 1 home run with 7 RBIs over the last 10 games.
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