'Oh no!' Hanwha's Noh Si-hwan took a direct headshot and collapsed on the spot... The pitcher who threw it was ejected, 'thank goodness' — no substitution made

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha Eagles' fourth-order batter Noh Si-hwan, who had struggled with poor batting form and was sent down to the minor league before returning to the first division the previous day (the 23rd), took a headshot.

On the afternoon of the 24th, Noh Si-hwan started at third base and batted fourth in the home game against the NC Dinos at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, facing a tense situation in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and a runner on second base, Noh Si-hwan stepped up to the plate to face Taylor. Taylor threw a two-seam fastball clocked at 144 km/h as his first pitch to Noh Si-hwan. However, the pitch went awry and headed straight for Noh Si-hwan's head, striking his helmet with force.

As soon as Noh Si-hwan was hit by Taylor's pitch, he fell to the ground. It was a harrowing scene. Noh Si-hwan remained on the ground for a moment, catching his breath. Fortunately, after signaling that he was okay, he got up on his own and walked toward first base without being substituted.

Taylor also showed good sportsmanship. After delivering the headshot, he removed his cap to express his apologies to Noh Si-hwan and watched his condition closely. However, a headshot is a headshot, and as per the rules, Taylor was ejected. NC, suddenly facing an unexpected change, brought in relief pitcher Bae Jae-hwan.

As a result, Taylor's line for the day was 3⅓ innings, 1 hit allowed, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.

Taylor had pitched a no-hitter through the third inning, allowing only one walk and no hits to any batter. The first hit he allowed came against leadoff batter Yonatan Peraza in the fourth inning. He then induced an infield grounder from Oh Jae-won in the next at-bat, but the unintended headshot to Noh Si-hwan remained a regrettable moment.

Meanwhile, this headshot ejection marks the fourth of the season in the league. Taylor has thrown four hit-by-pitches this season. Recently, on the 18th during a game against the SSG Landers, he hit Go Myeong-jun on the back of the left hand, resulting in a fracture. Jo Hyung-woo also had to head to the minor league after being hit by a pitch on his chest.

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*This content was translated by AI.