"Blood had pooled in his right eye, but..." KT's Kwon Dong-jin, direct hit from a hard-hit ball in the Korea Series → Avoided surgery despite orbital fracture! "We will monitor progress for 1 to 2 weeks"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The results of additional examinations for KT Wiz infielder Kwon Dong-jin (28), who was struck in the eye by a hard-hit ball and collapsed during the final game of the Korea Series, have been released. Although he has an orbital fracture, there is no impairment to his vision, so separate surgery is not deemed necessary. However, the blood pooled in his right eye will require monitoring for 1 to 2 weeks to observe its progression.

A KT club official stated on the afternoon of the 9th, "Following a re-examination at Suwon Ajou University Hospital, Kwon Dong-jin received an opinion that separate surgery is not needed for the orbital fracture as it does not affect his vision. We plan to continuously observe the progression of the blood draining from his right eye, where blood has pooled, for approximately 1 to 2 weeks before proceeding with further treatment."

When he first received a hospital examination in Daegu on the previous day (the 8th), the opinion was that while blood had pooled in the front of his right eye, immediate emergency surgery was not required. Subsequently, he traveled to Suwon with the team and received treatment at Ajou University Hospital, where it was determined that the orbital fracture could also be managed by monitoring its progression without surgery.

Kwon Dong-jin started as the 9th batter and shortstop in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) against the Samsung Lions, held on the 8th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. With KT trailing 1-11 in the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and runners on first and second base, he was struck in the right eye by an unexpected bounce while attempting to field a strong ground ball from Samsung's Kim Young-woong (23).

The impact was significant. Kwon Dong-jin immediately collapsed on the ground and could not easily get up despite emergency measures by medical staff. He was eventually placed on a stretcher, transferred to an ambulance, and urgently transported to a nearby hospital.

At the time, Samsung fans, who were on the verge of winning their first championship in 12 years, were also greatly shocked by the injury to the opposing player. As Kwon Dong-jin left the field, both Samsung home fans and KT away fans chanted "Kwon Dong-jin! Kwon Dong-jin!" together, wishing him a speedy recovery.

It was an especially regrettable accident for Kwon Dong-jin, as it occurred during a hard-won opportunity. Having joined KT in 2021, Kwon Dong-jin left behind regrets as a starting shortstop last year, finishing with a batting average of .225 (61 hits in 271 at-bats) in 123 games. This year, he also saw his playing time decrease after ceding the starting position to high school rookie Lee Kang-min (19) early in the season.

However, he rebounded through competition. He recorded a batting average of .324 in 23 games in May and continued his good hitting form into June, contributing power from the bottom of the lineup. Ultimately, he finished the regular season with a batting average of .268 (61 hits in 228 at-bats), 3 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 46 runs scored in 127 games.

In the Korea Series, he mainly received opportunities as a substitute player before making his first start in the final Game 5. This decision considered that he had been strong against Samsung starter Won Tae-in (26), holding a career regular season batting average of .429 (3 hits in 7 at-bats) against him.

Living up to expectations, Kwon Dong-jin laid the groundwork for the first run with a leadoff single to left field in the top of the 3rd inning and added another single to center field in the top of the 5th inning. Although the team lost 1-12, resulting in a runner-up finish, Kwon Dong-jin fought hard with 2 hits in 3 at-bats. However, he had to end his Korea Series participation due to an unexpected injury late in the game.

Fortunately, through two examinations, he received opinions that immediate surgery was not required. However, given the confirmed orbital fracture and bleeding in the right eye, his condition must be closely monitored until full recovery. KT plans to observe the progression of the blood draining from his eye for the next 1 to 2 weeks before deciding on the direction of additional treatment.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original