'Could this be a divine move to remove the foreign player?' The manager also gave a thumbs-up, saying, "It's absolutely amazing!" Will he finally break out with back-to-back outstanding performances?

*This content was translated by AI.

Could removing a foreign hitter from the same position turn out to be a divine move? Once labeled as a perennial prospect, he is now swinging a hot bat. This is the story of Doosan Bears' Kim Daehun.

On the 1st, Doosan secured a 2-2 draw against LG Twins in their regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. With this draw, Doosan improved to 51 wins, 45 losses, and 4 ties, maintaining sole fourth place in the league. They trail third-place LG by three games.

On this day, Doosan's batters failed to record a single hit against LG's starting pitcher Carlos Karasko through the seventh inning.

Doosan's first hit came after one out in the eighth inning. Min-seok Kim hit a ground ball single to right field off reliever Woo Kang-hoon. After Ahn Jae-seok struck out swinging, Kim Daehun stepped up to the plate with two outs and a runner on first base.

At that moment, the cheers from Doosan fans packed into Jamsil Baseball Stadium began to grow louder. There was a reason: expectations for Kim Daehun. Just the day before (July 31), Kim had hit his first multi-home run game since his KBO debut, emerging as a hero.

And once again, Kim Daehun's bat proved sharp. He immediately attacked the first pitch—a low outside curveball from Woo Kang-hoon—sending a two-run double to left-center field. It was the moment Doosan's stalled offense finally broke through. Starting from this rally point, Doosan's attack gained momentum. LG quickly brought in closer Son Ju-young as a tactical move. In response, Doosan substituted Park Ji-hoon for Cho Su-heung at the plate. Park Ji-hoon then hit a two-run double to left-center field, tying the game at 2-2.

Before today's game, Doosan manager Kim Won-hyeong said about Kim Daehun, "If he performs like he did on (July 31), it will be absolutely amazing." He added, "He truly provided great help to the team and gained significant confidence himself. I believe his hard work over time finally showed in that one game without getting overly excited." He further encouraged him, saying, "He has been seriously focusing on offense, defense, and base running throughout this season. I hope he continues with that same attitude."

Kim Daehun revealed that during last season's difficult period, he seriously considered his future path. Manager Kim responded, "If his heart hadn't been so troubled, would he have tried to give up what he loves and excels at? That shows just how much emotional pain he endured," expressing empathy.

The right field position Kim Daehun currently occupies was originally held by foreign hitter Daz Cameron, who started the season with Doosan. As a result of Cameron's release, Kim Daehun seized a new opportunity. Manager Kim stated, "Of course, we can't judge based on just one game (July 31), but sometimes losing something leads to gaining something else. If Cameron had remained, it would have been difficult to expect Kim Daehun's performance like this."

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*This content was translated by AI.