[Official] NC Kim Hyung-joon, who finished rehabilitation, will go to WBC instead of Hanwha Choi Jae-hoon for "Finger Fracture."

*This content was translated by AI.

NC Dinos homeowner Kim Hyung-joon (27) will join the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team. Instead of Choi Jae-hoon (36, Hanwha Eagles), who was eliminated due to injury.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Power Reinforcement Committee officially announced on the 10th that "NC Kim Hyung-joon has been confirmed as a replacement for Hanwha Choi Jae-hoon, who has become difficult to play in the WBC due to injury."

It is because of the sad news that was delivered to the national team on the 8th. According to Hanwha officials, Choi Jae-hoon was hit by a ball in his right hand during defensive training at the Melbourne Spring Camp in Australia, causing bruises.

The condition was not as good as I thought. As a result of X-RAY imaging at a local hospital in Australia, he was found to have a fracture of the right finger (finger) for three to four weeks.

Because Choi Jae-hoon's rich experience and stable defense were his strengths, the vacancy was also expected to be the selection of a veteran catcher. However, the Korea Power Reinforcement Committee chose Kim Hyung-joon, who had just completed rehabilitation.

As long as there is no injury, Kim Hyung-joon is a sure resource. From the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he has gained abundant experience in international competitions by selecting him as the team's main catcher, and if not for injuries this time, he was likely to be selected. Last year, he played in 127 games in his first full season, batting average of 0.232 (84 hits in 362 at-bats), 18 home runs, 55 RBIs and 51 runs, and an on-base percentage of 0.320 slugging percentage of 0.414 and OPS of 0.734 were recorded.

In defense, he was excellent with a 35.6% steal blocking rate (73 attempts, 26 stops), and his errors were also reduced from 12 last year to four. However, he was not called until the Saipan national team camp in January last month, as he was diagnosed with a left-handed osteophytes fracture in October last year and was rehabilitated for at least two months.

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*This content was translated by AI.