Kim Do-young's elbow was struck by a 156 km/h fastball, and Lee Beom-ho was also startled! "I felt my heart skip a beat too; it's a sensitive area, after all..."

*This content was translated by AI.

"I think I felt my heart skip a beat yesterday too." (Note: '심쿵' means "heart pounding down.")

KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho (45) expressed relief after witnessing the scene where his star batter Kim Do-young (23), who had been hit by a 156 km/h fastball from Kiwoom Heroes ace An Woo-jin the previous day, was struck again.

Ahead of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' away game against Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul on the 23rd, manager Lee Beom-ho met with reporters and discussed the dangerous hit-by-pitch incident involving Kim Do-young that occurred in the top of the fourth inning on the 22nd.

The Kiwoom Heroes vs. KIA Tigers game took place at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 22nd. In the top of the fourth inning with two outs, a tense moment froze both dugouts and the entire stands. Starting pitcher An Woo-jin threw his third pitch against Kim Do-young with a count of one ball and one strike; the 156th km/h fastball drilled deep inside, striking Kim Do-young's elbow hard.

With a dull thud, Kim Do-young cried out in severe pain and remained on the ground for some time. As a key hitter for the national team preparing for the September Asian Games in Nagoya and Aichi, there was immediate concern over a serious injury. Staff from KIA's dugout and training department all came out to check Kim Do-young's condition. An Woo-jin on the mound also showed visible distress, staring toward the batter's box with an expression of deep worry.

Fortunately, Kim Do-young's elbow guard saved him. Had he not been wearing it, he could have suffered a life-threatening bone fracture that might have led to his removal from the national team. Fortunately avoiding serious injury, Kim Do-young shook himself off and stood up, heading to first base, and continued playing until the end of the game. He was also seen taping his elbow in the next at-bat, but no special issues were noted.

Meeting with reporters on the following day, the 23rd, manager Lee Beom-ho said, "The pitch was quite fast. Actually, An Woo-jin is known for throwing very fast pitches, so I was even more surprised. Kim Do-young is one of the few players who wears a slightly thinner guard to move comfortably in the batter's box — he only uses minimal protection." He added, "When it happened, I was really worried myself. The left elbow must always be exposed to the pitcher while batting, so if pain or lingering effects remain, it could affect his hitting balance and overall condition."

Fortunately, Kim Do-young's physical condition is normal. Manager Lee said, "I checked on him this morning when he came to work, and he reported no issues at all, so I immediately put him in the starting lineup. I even saw him at the hotel sauna, and he said he was fine," smiling as he spoke.

KIA's starting lineup for the day was Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Seon-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Castro (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Oh Sun-woo (designated hitter), Ha Joo-seok (shortstop), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder). Kim Do-young, who narrowly avoided a serious injury the previous day, continued to lead the team's offense as the third-order batter and starting third baseman.

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*This content was translated by AI.