Injury return delayed for KBO MVP Kim Do-yeong

Kia Tigers third baseman Kim Do-yeong is in action against the NC Dinos during the teams' Korea Baseball Organization Opening Day game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, March 22, in this file photo provided by the Tigers. Yonhap

The defending Korean baseball champions Kia Tigers received mixed news on their injury front Monday.

The Tigers announced their superstar third baseman Kim Do-yeong, the reigning Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) MVP, will have his return from a left hamstring injury delayed following his latest MRI done Monday.

Kim suffered the injury during the first game of the season on March 22 and has not played since. Kim resumed baseball activities on April 3, and the Tigers had hoped he would be back soon. However, Monday's test showed Kim's hamstring had not fully healed.

The team said Kim will be re-evaluated next week after more rehabbing and treatment.

The Tigers' bullpen took a big blow with left-handed reliever Kwak Do-gyu being diagnosed with ligament damage in his left elbow. He will soon undergo elbow reconstructive surgery, which will rule him out for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old was a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award last season after going 4-2 with 16 holds, two saves and a 3.56 ERA in 71 appearances, the second most on the Tigers. This season, however, Kwak only pitched to a 13.50 ERA across nine outings, with six earned runs allowed in four innings. Kwak last pitched Friday.

Second baseman Kim Sun-bin, the 2024 Korean Series MVP, was cleared to resume training after his MRI came back clean on his injured left calf. The Tigers said Kim will train for two or three days before getting into minor league rehab games.

Kim was batting .423 (11-for-26) in nine games with a .500 on-base percentage before hitting the sidelines.

The Tigers fell to last place for the first time in two years Saturday but bounced right back up by beating the SSG Landers 11-5 on Sunday. At 7-10-0 (wins-losses-ties), the Tigers are in ninth place but are only half a game behind fifth-place Lotte Giants. (Yonhap)