'Stolen base attempt → Collision crash' Caretaker leaves in ambulance, returns to stadium on his own feet "Condition improved... will continue to monitor"

*This content was translated by AI.

NC Dinos infielder Do Tae-hoon (33), who left the stadium in an ambulance, returned to the team on his own feet, reassuring fans.

An NC club official told StarNews on the 24th, "Do Tae-hoon's condition has improved, and he has returned to the stadium. Although we could not see him receive medical treatment due to a long wait for hospital examinations, we will continue to monitor his progress."

Do Tae-hoon had previously suffered a frightening injury during the NC-KT game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park. With NC leading 8-3 in the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs and runners on first and second, he entered as a pinch runner replacing Matt Davidson and collided with Kim Sang-soo while attempting a stolen base at second base.

The throw from KT catcher Han Seung-taek was aimed toward Kim Sang-soo's glove covering second base. Kim Sang-soo immediately tried to tag Do Tae-hoon, but their paths overlapped. Do Tae-hoon, trying to avoid Kim Sang-soo who was in the base path, raised his arm to block, but it was not easy as he was already accelerating.

A major collision occurred, causing Kim Sang-soo to stumble and fall. Afterward, Do Tae-hoon struggled to get up for quite some time until the ambulance arrived. This was because he had forcefully collided his chest against Kim Sang-soo's left shin. Ultimately, Do Tae-hoon was carried on a stretcher to the hospital wearing a neck brace, drawing concern from many fans.

At that time, an NC club official stated, "Do Tae-hoon collided with an opposing fielder during base running, resulting in a contusion on his right collarbone area. He was moved to a nearby hospital for examination."

Fortunately, news arrived before the game ended that Do Tae-hoon had returned. As a result, NC was able to head back to Changwon along with Do Tae-hoon alongside the victory. For NC, which already had many injured players, this was a moment of relief.

Do Tae-hoon is an infield utility player who graduated from Yangjeong Elementary, Gaeseong Middle, Busan High, and Dong-A University before joining NC as a developmental player in 2016. With his excellent defense, he has served as a caretaker role, covering various positions at NC for over 10 years. Even with the recent injuries and departures of key players such as Kim Hwi-jip and Seo Ho-cheol, NC's ability to maintain a .400 winning percentage was largely due to Do Tae-hoon's invaluable performances.

Meanwhile, NC defeated KT 8-5 on this day, breaking a five-game losing streak and starting the engine to escape last place. Foreign ace Riley Thompson pitched well over 5 innings, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, recording 7 strikeouts, and giving up 3 runs (2 earned), securing his second win of the season.

With a total of 25 hits exchanged between the two teams, NC's lineup showed slightly more focus. Park Geon-woo went 4-for-5 with 1 RBI, and Han Seok-hyun went 2-for-3 with 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored, and 2 walks, reaching base 4 times, as the core lineup performed brilliantly. Additionally, Kim Ju-won, Lee Woo-seong, and Kim Hyung-jun contributed to the team's victory with multi-hit performances.

In contrast, KT struggled as starter Bae Je-seong collapsed over 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs without recording a single strikeout. Sugi Moto Kouki, who was supposed to play a crucial role in the bullpen, also failed to do his part, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 0 walks, and 2 strikeouts over 1 inning while giving up 2 runs.

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*This content was translated by AI.