'Another First!' KIA's Kim Do-young, 'Returned Immediately After Septal Fracture Surgery,' Wrote KBO History as Youngest Ever → '3 Hits, 4 On-Base Solo Show in Full Swing' Now Heading to AG National Team

*This content was translated by AI.

Returning to the field just four days after undergoing surgery for a septal fracture, Kim Do-young (23), the superstar of the KIA Tigers, displayed supernatural recovery power and wrote new history in the KBO League. He shattered the all-time record for the youngest player to achieve 40 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored in a single season—a record held by 'National Batter' Lee Seung-yeop (50)—by an unprecedented margin of 27 years.

On the 13th at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, Kim Do-young started as the designated hitter for the third time in the Hanwha Eagles vs. KIA Tigers 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game. He delivered a solo show with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 walk, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, leading his team to a decisive 9-2 victory.

A miraculous recovery and outstanding performance defined the day. Kim Do-young suffered a severe injury on the 9th during a game against the Gwangju NC Dinos when his nasal bone fractured.

At that time, Kim Do-young's injury occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning during KIA's offensive turn. With no outs and a runner on first base while the team trailed 0-3, Kim Do-young stepped up to bat for the second time. As NC's starting pitcher Song Myeong-gi threw his first pitch—a 148 km/h fastball—Kim Do-young suddenly attempted a bunt.

However, the ball struck the top of the bat rather than making solid contact and bounced directly into Kim Do-young's face as he shifted his weight toward first base. After being hit by the ball, Kim Do-young took a few steps toward first base due to the shock before stopping in place. At that moment, significant bleeding occurred from the nasal area due to the impact of the ball.

Soon, KIA trainers rushed onto the field and attempted to stop the bleeding with ice packs and towels. Shortly after, Kim Do-young, showing a pained expression, got up from his seat, covered his face, headed to the dugout, and was then transported to a hospital.

The examination results were not good. A KIA team official stated at the time, "We conducted X-ray and CT scans at Central Hospital, the club-designated medical facility," and added, "The results showed signs of a septal fracture." On the following day, the 10th, Kim Do-young immediately underwent surgery to set the fractured bone.

After the surgery, Kim Do-young demonstrated supernatural recovery power. Although he rested for only three days, his determination to return to the field was unwavering. And upon returning to the field on this day, he delivered a dazzling performance.

Before this game, Hanwha set their starting lineup as follows: Sim Woo-jun (shortstop), Choi In-ho (center fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Peraza (right fielder), Heo In-seo (catcher), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), and Lee Do-yoon (second baseman). The starting pitcher was White.

In response, KIA arranged their starting lineup as follows: Park Jung-woo (center fielder), Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Castro (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Ha Joo-seok (shortstop), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Byun Woo-hyeok (third baseman). The starting pitcher was Shirakawa.

Before this game, Kim Do-young had recorded 40 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 105 runs scored for the season. On this day, he swept up 3 RBIs and 2 runs in one fell swoop. This marked the 18th time in KBO League history and the 12th time by a player to achieve the long-awaited 40 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored. He now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Jang Jong-hoon (1992), Lee Seung-yeop (1999, 2002, 2003), Shim Jung-soo (2002, 2003), Park Byung-ho (2014, 2015), Kang Jung-ho (2014), Eric Thames (2015, 2016), Choi Jeong (2016), Yamaiko Navarro (2015), Kim Jae-hwan (2018), Jamie Romak (2018), and Mel Rojas Jr. (2018, 2020). This is the first time this feat has been achieved since Mel Rojas Jr. (then with KT Wiz) accomplished it in 2020, approximately six years later. Furthermore, it is the first such achievement by a KIA Tigers player.

Most notably, it was his 'age.' Born in October 2003, Kim Do-young reached the 40-100-100 milestone at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 11 days. This broke the previous record for the youngest player set by Lee Seung-yeop, known as the 'Lion King,' who achieved the feat on August 7, 1999, while wearing a Samsung Lions uniform at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 20 days—shaving nine days off that record.

In the bottom of the first inning with one out and a runner on first base, Kim Do-young stepped up to bat for the first time and calmly drew a walk. Following this, when Na Sung-beom hit a two-run double to left-center field, Kim Do-young sprinted home without hesitation to score his first run of the game.

Kim Do-young struck out in the bottom of the third inning and took a breather. Then, in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out and a runner on third base while KIA held a 3-2 lead, he faced his third at-bat. Here, Kim Do-young targeted Hanwha's starting pitcher Owen White's second pitch—a 129 km/h outside sweeper—and connected for a single to left field. During this play, third baseman Park Jae-hyun easily scored from third base. This was the moment Kim Do-young reached 100 RBIs.

This was not the end. With KIA leading 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs and a runner on second base, Kim Do-young hit a sacrifice fly to center field to add another RBI. Kim Do-young's performance continued. In the bottom of the eighth inning with one out and runners on first and second bases, he smashed a two-run double down the left-field line. Having perfectly fulfilled his mission, Kim Do-young was replaced by pinch-runner Kim Min-gyu, concluding his game for the day.

Now, Kim Do-young will briefly leave KIA to don the national team uniform and head to the international stage. He immediately joined the Baseball National Team on the 14th and is set to begin rigorous training aimed at winning gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Meanwhile, the fourth-place KIA Tigers, who hammered Hanwha with a total of 15 hits for a decisive 9-2 victory, recorded 68 wins, 56 losses, and 2 draws. They maintained a 1.5-game lead over third-place LG Twins (70 wins, 55 losses, 1 draw), who defeated Samsung on the same day. Park Jae-hyun, who also wears the Taegeuk mark alongside Kim Do-young, contributed to the team's victory with 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, swinging a hot bat.

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*This content was translated by AI.