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Park Jun-hyun (19), the right-handed fireballer for the Kiwoom Heroes who is set to follow in the footsteps of An Woo-jin (27), has been forced to take a break due to knee pain.
On the 23rd, the Kiwoom Heroes stated, "Pitcher Park Jun-hyun felt discomfort in his left knee while stretching at Goyang Stadium on the 20th and underwent cross-examination. The examination results indicated minor damage to the medial collateral ligament of his left knee."
He is currently wearing a brace, and recovery is expected to take approximately two months.
Park Jun-hyun, a graduate of Bukil High School, was selected with the first overall pick in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft to wear the Kiwoom uniform. While he was better known as "the son of Park Seok-min," he was recognized as the most valuable rookie due to his exceptionally fast pitches and secured a signing bonus of 700 million won.
Even after his debut, he demonstrated clear potential. He dominated batters with a fastball reaching a maximum speed of 159 km/h and a high-speed slider in the mid-140s km/h range.
After pitching five scoreless innings in his debut against the Samsung Lions on April 26 to earn the win, he delivered a strong performance with his first quality start (six innings, one run allowed) against the NC Dinos on May 17. On June 17, in a game against the Samsung, he recorded a dominant outing of seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
However, that one win in his debut was all he managed to secure. In particular, his severe slump in the second half of the season was painful. He finished the first half with a record of 1 win and 4 losses in 10 games and an ERA (ERA) of 3.67, but in the second half, he managed only 0 wins and 6 losses in 12 games with an ERA of 8.38.
Ultimately, he closed out the season with a below-expectation record of 1 win and 10 losses in 22 games and an ERA of 5.75.
He left clear challenges regarding his control and physical stamina. During the 87th⅔ innings pitched this season, he recorded as many as 73 walks. His walk rate reached 7.49 per nine innings. His average innings pitched per game was less than four.
The opportunity to rest for two months could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He had planned to refine his control during the closing training period, but he will now get sufficient rest. It is expected to serve as an opportunity to plan for next season instead of pitching.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
