'Missed the walk-off chance with a double play' Kim Tae-gun also suffered a painful injury... Hamstring strain → Removed from first-division roster

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Tae-gun (37, KIA Tigers) has been removed from the first-division roster due to a hamstring injury. Following his failure to capitalize on a walk-off opportunity the previous day, he now faces a painful injury as well.

Ahead of their home game against SSG Landers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 2nd in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, KIA removed catcher Kim Tae-gun and relief pitcher Choi Jimin from the first-division roster.

According to the team, Kim felt pain in his hamstring during a base-running play the previous day. An examination conducted this morning revealed damage to the right hamstring. The team stated, "We plan to determine his return timeline through a re-examination in two weeks."

Kim was inserted as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 10th inning of extra innings against SSG. With KIA trailing 3-4, he helped tie the game, and a fielding error by the opponent created a bases-loaded opportunity with one out. KIA substituted Kim for Jung Hyun-chang as a pinch hitter.

The situation was such that if he could just avoid a double play on an infield grounder, he would have been able to end the game himself. Kim swung hard from the first pitch, but Moon Seung-won's pitch dropped with an unexpectedly large trajectory, failing to make solid contact and resulting in a double play to the shortstop-catcher-first baseman sequence.

Kim sprinted at full speed to avoid the double play, appearing to overexert himself in the process. It was a tense timing battle; Kim planted his foot forcefully on the first-base bag at the last moment, after which he began showing signs of pain in his leg. It appears he strained his hamstring during this effort.

Kim has taken on a backup role this season after yielding the starting catcher position to Han Jun-su. In 46 games, he is batting .257 (26 hits in 101 at-bats) with two home runs, seven RBIs, 11 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.681. While Han Jun-su's performance has been dazzling, Kim is a resource capable of fulfilling the backup role adequately, making his absence painful for the team.

Choi Jimin was not suffering from any specific injury but was sent to the minor league as a consideration to rest and improve his condition as the first half draws to a close. In 35 games this season, he has pitched 31 innings with two holds and an ERA of 6.10.

Catcher Kwon Da-gyeol and pitcher Ji Hyun have been registered for the first division to replace Kim Tae-gun and Choi Jimin. Kwon Da-gyeol, a catcher selected in the second round of the 2021 draft, has only seven games of first-division experience and will back up Han Jun-su. This season's sixth-round rookie Ji Hyun appeared in two games. In the Futures League (KBO minor league), he primarily started as a pitcher, recording 12 games with zero wins, five losses, and an ERA of 4.47.

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*This content was translated by AI.