'What now?' Samsung's Kim Young-woong suffers hamstring injury again... 'Finally' May return fails "MRI scheduled in three weeks"

*This content was translated by AI.

The return of Samsung Lions infielder Kim Young-woong (23), who was undergoing rehabilitation, has been postponed. This time, the reason was a hamstring injury.

Samsung announced on the 8th, "Player Kim Young-woong experienced discomfort in his left hamstring during a Futures League game on May 6 and underwent an examination that day. Due to image quality issues, the diagnosis was difficult, but a re-examination on May 7 revealed a Grade 1 strain of the left hamstring semitendinosus muscle."

It is unfortunate that the injury occurred in a similar area to his previous one. Kim Young-woong injured his left hamstring while attempting a stolen base in a match against the Daegu NC Dinos on April 10, which led to his removal from the first-division roster.

The initial expectation was about four weeks of rehabilitation, and he returned to actual play in a game between the NC Dinos' second-division team and the Futures League team on the 6th. In that game, he hit a double in his first at-bat and was immediately substituted, raising questions, and the result was a hamstring injury.

This is a major setback for Samsung. With Choi Hyung-woo joining the team earlier this season, Samsung was hailed as having the strongest lineup, but the team has faced significant concerns due to injuries sidelining key players.

Starting with outfielder Kim Sung-yoon (27) being excluded from the first-division roster on April 7 due to side pain, players such as Kim Young-woong, Ku Ja-wook (micro-fracture in the fibula), and Lee Jae-hyun (back pain) have been sidelined one after another, diminishing the team's strength.

Kim Young-woong led Samsung to the playoffs last season with 22 home runs in the regular season and 4 in the postseason, proving his worth. This year, Choi Hyung-woo took on a mentor role from spring training, generating high expectations, but an unexpected injury has forced him to take a brief break.

Samsung stated, "The diagnosis indicates that the injury is in an area close to the one sustained in the Daegu NC match on April 10. For the time being, he will rest, followed by light weight-bearing exercises, and his recovery status will be confirmed via an MRI scan in three weeks."

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*This content was translated by AI.