'KT on high alert': As Park Young-hyun prepares to depart, Sugiimoto collapses after being struck in the calf by a line drive; Kim Do-young also concerned... Hospital checkup scheduled for today (7th)

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz, already rushing to their next destination, has now entered a state of high alert. Victory contributor Sugiimoto Kouki (26) collapsed after being struck by a powerful hit from Kim Do-young (23·KIA Tigers).

On the 6th, KT lost 2-8 to KIA in an away game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

With this loss, KT has now dropped all three games of the series, falling to a record of 69 wins, 3 ties, and 46 losses, trailing first-place Samsung Lions by 1.5 games.

While it was disappointing to suffer a setback against KIA, who previously held a 6-3 advantage in head-to-head matchups, an even more serious issue emerged late in the game. Sugiimoto, who entered in the bottom of the 8th inning, sustained a frightening injury.

Sugiimoto allowed first batter Jung Hyun-chang to reach second base on a shortstop throwing error. With one out and a runner on second after catching Park Jae-hyun in center field for an out, he faced Kim Do-young. That was when the incident occurred.

Kim Do-young swung at the first slider and then connected powerfully with the second pitch, a fastball. The ball bounced sharply in front of the pitcher and struck Sugiimoto's right calf before deflecting away. Sugiimoto remained on the ground for some time without getting up, while a concerned Kim Do-young approached to watch closely.

After being unable to rise for a while, Sugiimoto was helped by trainers and carefully made his way toward the dugout. A KT club official stated, "Sugiimoto was struck in the right calf by a batted ball and is currently undergoing icing treatment; he is scheduled for a hospital checkup on the 7th."

Even after the game, both KIA manager Lee Beom-ho and the involved player Kim Do-young expressed deep concern. During his post-game comments about the victory, Manager Lee Beom-ho said, "I am worried about Sugiimoto's injury and hope for a quick recovery," wishing him well.

Kim Do-young also shared his worries: "The ball was moving faster than I expected, and it seems the area that got hit wasn't ideal. Since KT is still competing at the top of the standings, I hope Sugiimoto doesn't have to miss time due to injury. I truly hope nothing serious has happened."

Fortunately, Sugiimoto left the field under his own power after the game ended, but further results will need to be monitored. Sugiimoto joined KT this season as part of the Asia quota, appearing in 63 games with a record of 1 win and 2 losses, 19 holds, an ERA of 5.71 over 64⅔ innings, and recording 65 strikeouts while protecting the bullpen.

Although his performance showed some inconsistency, he was regarded as a difficult pitcher due to his fastball reaching speeds exceeding 150 km/h. Especially after the game on the 14th, So Hyoung-jun (25), Oh Won-seok (25), and Park Young-hyun (23) were called up to represent South Korea at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, making Sugiimoto's role even more critical.

However, due to Sugiimoto's sudden injury, KT has now returned to Suwon carrying concerns as serious as those from their three-game losing streak.

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*This content was translated by AI.