The KIA Tigers finished the first half of the season with four consecutive losses, unable to carry forward the momentum from June. The trusted closer Jeong Hae-young collapsed, resulting in a shocking last-minute comeback loss, but there was an even more painful piece of news: the injury to left-handed pitcher Yoon Young-chul (21).
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 10th the replacement of players for the All-Star Game, stating that pitcher Yoon Young-chul, selected as a sharing all-star by managerial recommendation, has been replaced by his teammate pitcher Seong Yeong-tak due to injury. Yoon Young-chul had also been selected as a substitute player for Adam Olber, who was out with elbow inflammation. The second-year Seong Yeong-tak has become an 'alternate substitute' for his first All-Star Game.
On the 10th, the KIA team reported Yoon Young-chul's exact condition during the game against Hanwha. That day, Yoon Young-chul underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) for his left elbow at Seonhan Hospital, the designated hospital for the KIA team. As a result, he was diagnosed with damage to the flexor muscle. Yoon Young-chul will receive rehabilitation treatment for the time being and is scheduled to undergo a re-examination after four weeks.
Damage to the elbow flexor muscle is known to be a precursor to ligament reconstruction surgery, commonly referred to as Tommy John surgery. Depending on the results of the re-examination after four weeks, there is a possibility of being out for the season in the worst-case scenario. Yoon Young-chul's teammate, left-handed pitcher Kwak Do-kyu, also underwent Tommy John surgery after his elbow flexor muscle damage was confirmed in April and has been ruled out for the season.
Yoon Young-chul, who graduated from Jangchung High School and joined KIA as the overall second pick in the first round of 2023, had been active as a key starter since his first year. In 2023, he played 25 games (122⅔ innings), achieving 8 wins, 7 losses, and an earned run average of 4.04 with 74 strikeouts, placing second in the Rookie of the Year voting. Last year, he did not complete a full season due to a spinal fatigue fracture, but his performance was decent in 18 games (81⅔ innings), with 7 wins, 4 losses, and an earned run average of 4.19, along with 58 strikeouts.
However, in his third year this year, he experienced growing pains. He pitched 50 innings over 13 games, with 2 wins, 7 losses, an earned run average of 5.58, and 43 strikeouts. After a slump in mid-April, he went on a short stint in the minor leagues and demonstrated inconsistent performance. From May 25 against Samsung in Daegu, he seemed to regain stability with five consecutive games of more than five innings pitched and less than three earned runs, but in the most recent three games, he failed to last four innings in two of them. In particular, in his last appearance of the first half against Hanwha in Daejeon on the 8th, he suffered a loss after pitching two innings, giving up two hits, three walks, one strikeout, and four runs (two earned). His struggles were attributed to elbow pain.
As soon as Lee Eui-ri, who underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery last June and completed a one-year rehabilitation, prepared for a return to the first team with three appearances in the Futures League, Yoon Young-chul was injured. They had hoped for a complete pitching staff in the second half, but it fell apart again.
This year, the KBO League has seen an unprecedented number of injuries, causing several teams to struggle, and KIA is at the center of it. A total of 11 players have been placed on the injured list 17 times. Although Samsung has 13 players who have been listed a total of 19 times, KIA has suffered the greatest damage, especially considering the key players and the length of their injuries.
Last year's MVP Kim Do-young is out long-term due to two hamstring injuries in March's opening game and at the end of May. He aims to return in August but is cautious. Similarly, Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin, who both injured their calves, are expected to return in time for the second half but had lengthy absences in April and May. Yoon Do-hyun (finger) and Park Jeong-woo (hamstring), who were filling in for them, still do not have a concrete timeline for their return.
Despite the unprecedented injury woes, KIA rebounded in June with the 'Hampyeong members' including Oh Seon-woo, Kim Ho-ryeong, Ko Jong-wook, Kim Seok-hwan, Seong Yeong-tak, and Lee Ho-min, who awaited in the minors. However, they were swept in their last three games of the first half against Hanwha, ranked first. In the game on the 10th, closer Jeong Hae-young, who was leading 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, allowed a tying walk and then suffered a last-minute hit, resulting in a comeback loss. KIA has fallen into a four-game losing streak, finishing the first half with a record of 45 wins, 40 losses, and 3 ties (winning percentage .529), and in fourth place.
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