'Baseball Emergency in Korea': KIA's Kim Do-young Bleeds After Being Hit by Bunt, Forced to Exit; Even Expresses Emotions... Immediately Transferred to Hospital

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Do-young (23), a key hitter for the KBO League's KIA Tigers, was forced to leave the game after being struck in the face by his own bunt attempt, resulting in bleeding.

A major setback has emerged not only for his team, KIA, which is in the midst of a tight race for playoff positioning at the end of the regular season, but also for the national baseball team (coached by Ryu Ji-hyun) preparing to open the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

On the 9th, Kim Do-young started as the third hitter and third baseman in KIA's home game against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season but was immediately substituted after suffering an unexpected facial injury during his fourth-inning at-bat.

Kim Do-young's injury occurred during KIA's offensive turn in the bottom of the fourth inning. With no outs and a runner on first base while trailing 0-3, Kim Do-young stepped up to bat for the second time that inning.

As NC's starting pitcher Song Myeong-gi threw his first pitch at 148 km/h, Kim Do-young suddenly attempted a bunt.

However, the ball did not make clean contact with the bat; instead, it struck the upper part of the bat and bounced directly into Kim Do-young's face as he had shifted his weight toward first base.

After being hit by the ball, Kim Do-young froze in place due to the severe impact. Shortly after, significant bleeding occurred from his nose area caused by the force of the collision.

Soon, KIA trainers rushed onto the field and attempted to stop the bleeding using ice packs and towels. A short while later, Kim Do-young got up from his seat amid pain and wrapped his face before walking toward the dugout.

During this process, Kim Do-young could not hide his frustration over the sudden injury and even expressed strong emotions. As he headed to the dugout, he kicked the ground with his foot and shouted, revealing deep frustration and sorrow simultaneously.

Kim Do-young was unable to continue batting. He was immediately called out for substitution. Park Min-i replaced him as a pinch hitter.

Kim Do-young's departure is bound to be a devastating blow both for his team and the national squad. Just the day before (on the 8th), he had delivered strong offensive performances in the game against the Daegu Samsung Lions, hitting a solo home run and anchoring the lineup. Notably, with the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games roster expected to be called up mid-month, head coach Ryu Ji-hyun has identified Kim Do-young as a core member of the team's cleanup trio and a vital piece in infield defense, raising further concerns.

The exact extent of the injury will be determined following detailed medical examinations at the hospital. For now, Kim Do-young was immediately transported to a medical facility. A KIA club official stated, "Kim Do-young's bleeding has stopped," and added, "He has been moved to Central Hospital, KIA's designated medical partner, where he will undergo detailed examinations including X-rays and CT scans."

Depending on the results of the examination, it is expected that details regarding his absence period and potential participation in the national team will become clear.

Meanwhile, prior to this game, Kim Do-young had appeared in 121 games this season, recording a batting average of .307 (446 at-bats, 137 hits), 40 home runs, 25 doubles, one triple, 99 RBIs, 105 runs scored, 76 walks, 6 hit-by-pitches, 90 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of .637, an on-base percentage of .412, an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.049, and a batting average with runners in scoring position of .359.

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*This content was translated by AI.