KBO home run leader undergoes surgery for broken nose, Asian Games status in jeopardy
Summary
Former Korean baseball MVP Kim Do-yeong underwent surgery for a broken nose after an injury in Gwangju on Wednesday night. His Asian Games status is now in jeopardy, and the Kia Tigers will monitor his recovery before setting a return timetable. The club said he will be released from the hospital Friday and remain on the active roster for now.
Key Facts
- Kim Do-yeong was injured on an ill-fated bunt attempt during a game against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju.
- The ball ricocheted off his bat and struck his face, causing immediate bleeding and forcing him out of the game for a pinch hitter.
- The Kia Tigers said he will be released from the hospital Friday and that his return timetable will depend on his recovery.
- Kim has played in all 122 games for the Tigers this season, ending that streak with the surgery.
- He leads the KBO with a career-high 40 home runs and 105 runs scored while ranking among league leaders in RBIs, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Kim Do-yeong of Kia Tigers hits his 40th home run during the Korea Baseball Organization's regular season match against Samsung Lions at the Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, Tuesday. Yonhap
Former Korean baseball MVP Kim Do-yeong has undergone surgery to repair a broken nose, his club announced Thursday, as his status for the upcoming Asian Games hangs in the balance.
The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Kim had his operation late Wednesday night, hours after suffering the injury on an ill-fated bunt attempt during a game against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju.
After the ball ricocheted off his bat and struck his face, Kim started bleeding immediately, prompting a team trainer to run out of the dugout and cover the player's face with a towel. Kim was soon removed from the game for a pinch hitter.
The Tigers said Kim will be released from the hospital Friday, and they will keep monitoring his recovery before setting a timetable for his return. A team official said the injury is not considered serious, and Kim will remain on the active roster for now.
Kim, 22, is in the midst of a bounceback season after appearing in just 30 games in 2025 due to multiple hamstring injuries. Kim has played in all 122 games for the Tigers so far this season, though the surgery will end that streak Thursday.
The 2024 KBO MVP has been widely regarded as a strong contender for another MVP award this year. He leads the league with a career-high 40 home runs and 105 runs scored while also ranking among the leaders in other major offensive categories, such as RBIs, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Kim's absence will be a big blow to the Tigers as they jostle for a postseason berth, but it will perhaps be even more devastating for the national team competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The young slugger was expected to bat in the heart of the lineup for a team gunning for its fifth consecutive gold medal at the continental event.
National team members, all of them KBO stars, are scheduled to open training camp next Tuesday in Seoul and to depart for Nagoya on Sept. 18.
Korea's first game is against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 21.
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