The hustle play of Park Chan-ho (28, KIA), who was a strong Golden Glove candidate in the shortstop category this season, actually became a major obstacle to completing his season. Due to finger ligament damage, it is difficult for him to play as a starter for the time being.안전놀이터
KIA coach Kim Jong-guk announced the news of Park Chan-ho’s injury ahead of the game against Lotte scheduled to be held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 13th. Director Kim said, “Park Chan-ho has some damage (to his finger).” To be exact, the ligament of the left fourth finger was damaged.
Chan-Ho Park started as the starting shortstop against Samsung in Daegu on the 12th, but injured his left hand while sliding headfirst in his third at-bat in the 5th inning. It was a hit between 3 and 8, and considering Park Chan-ho’s quick feet, the game seemed possible at first base. Samsung shortstop Lee Jae-hyun did his best on defense, and Park Chan-ho also did his best to run the bases.
However, Park Chan-ho, who was so determined to survive, slid headfirst at the last moment, and in the process, injured his left hand after sweeping the base. Park Chan-ho felt pain and was later replaced and finished the game.
He returned to Gwangju and was examined at a designated hospital, where it was determined that there was damage to the ligament of the fourth finger of his left hand. It is difficult to hit for the time being. However, the good news is that he is not in a condition that requires surgery. Coach Kim explained, “It’s not at the level of needing surgery, so he can be a pinch runner or a defender,” and added, “I’ll accompany the first team. However, starting will be difficult for the time being.”
There is no major problem with the throw itself since it is the left hand that is wearing the glove. Base running is also possible if you wear protective equipment. Coach Kim believes that in the current situation, there is no better defender or pinch runner than Chan-ho Park. However, he will have to watch his batting for the time being. This is because damaged ligaments need to recover.
While accompanying the first team, the training department will closely check the condition of Park Chan-ho’s fingers. Director Kim explained, “Fungo and running remain the same.” Still, Coach Kim believes that the recovery process will take about three weeks. The idea is to continue to monitor the situation and take steps. Due to difficulty hitting until the end of September, he is expected to be left out of the starting lineup.
This is a huge blow to KIA. Park Chan-ho, who has shown growth in batting since last year, has a batting average of 0.302, 3 home runs, 48 RBI, 64 runs, and 29 stolen bases in 115 games this season, and is now showing offense that is above the league average. In the last 10 games, he recorded a batting average of 0.317, showing his continued batting skills. He still has energetic defense and base running. KIA, which has continued to use Park Chan-ho as its leadoff player, is now in a situation where it must form a starting lineup without one key player.
This is also a disappointing point for Park Chan-ho. This year, Park Chan-ho was competing for the Golden Glove award in the shortstop category with Oh Ji-hwan (LG). Oh Ji-hwan’s offensive rate stats are slightly better, but there were some games where Oh Ji-hwan missed, so there were quite a few points where Park Chan-ho was ahead in cumulative statistics. However, he is now in a disadvantageous situation as it has become difficult to build up his batting performance.
The player who will replace Chan-ho Park is Kim Do-young. Kim Do-young, now in his second year, is showing great progress in attack. He perfectly took over KIA’s third base position with a batting average of 0.302, 5 home runs, 34 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.828 in 55 games of the season. He injured the metatarsal bone of his left foot in the season opening series and underwent long-term rehabilitation, but has shown good performance after returning and is showing performance as one of the top prospects in the KBO League.
Kim Do-young has the potential to hit more long balls than Park Chan-ho, and this is clearly confirmed in other offensive indicators such as OPS and wRC+. His ability to steal bases is no less than that of Park Chan-ho. However, it is unsettling that nothing has yet been proven in shortstop defense. After he joined, the shortstop position was left to Park Chan-ho, and Kim Do-young was not able to play the shortstop position much even as a backup. Although he continued to play shortstop during his high school years, it is unclear whether he can replace Park Chan-ho’s defensive skills.
The third base position without Kim Do-young is also a concern. KIA will start Choi Jeong-yong as third baseman on the 13th. This is a point where there is a possibility that the team’s strength will be weakened sequentially due to Park Chan-ho’s injury. You will need to find an alternative and endure for about 2-3 weeks. On the 13th, KIA announced that Kim Do-young (shortstop) – Lee Woo-sung (right fielder) – Na Seong-beom (designated hitter) – Choi Hyeong-woo (left fielder) – Kim Seon-bin (second baseman) – Socrates (center fielder) – Hwang Dae-in (first baseman) – Kim Tae-gun (catcher) – The batting order was organized by Choi Jeong-yong (third baseman). The starter is Yang Hyeon-jong.