Samsung in emergency again! 'Two consecutive X marks...' Ryu Ji-hyuk injured and replaced after being hit by a batted ball following Lee Jae-hyun

*This content was translated by AI.

The Samsung Lions bench breathed a sigh of relief for two consecutive days. An X mark indicating the trainer's "unable to play" appeared in two straight games, triggering an emergency. Following shortstop Lee Jae-hyun on the 6th, infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk was next on the 8th.

Ryu Ji-hyuk started at second base and batted sixth in the home game against KIA Tigers at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 8th as part of the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League."

The day was particularly meaningful for Ryu Ji-hyuk personally. He entered his first at-bat with one out and no runners in the bottom of the second inning, reaching his 1,200th career game appearance. This marked a historic milestone, ranking as the 132nd in KBO League history. Although he was retired on a pitcher's grounder, he made a significant start.

However, the joy did not last long. Misfortune struck in the bottom of the fourth inning with the team leading 1-0 and bases loaded with one out. After a 1-1 count, Ryu Ji-hyuk was hit by the third pitch, a forkball from KIA's starter Shirakawa. The foul ball that glanced off him struck his left knee hard.

Ryu Ji-hyuk immediately left the batter's box and collapsed on the ground, expressing severe pain. Sensing the situation, trainers rushed out to check his condition but determined he could not continue playing normally. The trainer firmly drew an "X" with both arms toward the bench, and Ryu Ji-hyuk eventually limped off the field.

A Samsung official stated, "Player Ryu Ji-hyuk was hit by a batted ball around his left knee. We will first apply ice and check his condition."

For the Samsung bench, the situation is even more alarming. Just two days prior on the 6th during the Jamsil LG Twins game, starting shortstop Lee Jae-hyun had been replaced due to injury after being hit by a pitch from reliever Woo Kang-hoon's left elbow. The nightmare of being substituted with a trainer's X signal had barely faded when Ryu Ji-hyuk also fell due to a batted ball injury, forcing the team to witness the loss of key infield resources for two consecutive games. Fortunately, Lee Jae-hyun was replaced immediately but did not require hospital examination.

As a silver lining in this misfortune, emergency substitute Yang Woo-hyun calmly hit an RBI single to left field, capitalizing on the opportunity, and moved into second base defense from the top of the fifth inning to fill the void. However, with the standings battle heating up late in the season, the Samsung bench's tension has reached its peak following two consecutive "X marks" from trainers.

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*This content was translated by AI.