I see signs. So I took him out.”
The veteran has anchored the LG Twins’ shaky infield this season. If he gets injured, it’s a big deal. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop immediately took him out when he showed signs of strangeness during the game. The protagonist is LG’s veteran infielder Kim Min-sung.
Kim started the game against the Kia Tigers in Gwangju on the 27th of April as the 8th outfielder, and after hitting a grounder in front of the third baseman with runners on first and second in the top of the second inning, he went to first base while the third baseman was tagged out and was immediately replaced by pinch-hitter Jung Joo-hyun.
On the 28th, against KIA, Kim Min-sung did not play. Instead, Shin Min-jae started at second base.
Yoon said of Kim, “I think his hamstring is a little bad. “In the bottom of the first inning, he was chasing Socrates’ pitch, but he couldn’t catch it and it became a hit. So I took it out.”
In the bottom of the first inning, Socrates hit a single to right field, and second baseman Kim Min-sung chased after it and stuck out his glove, but it slipped through. At this point, Yeom realised that Kim was not in good shape and decided to make a substitution after the first at-bat of the second inning.
“It’s a tough time for him physically because he hasn’t played like this recently. He needs to rest,” he said, adding, “It’s bad, but if he keeps playing and gets a real injury, it’s a negative for him and the team. I can see the signs of my hamstring coming up. He needs to rest.”토토사이트
If he was unable to play for a long time, he could have been removed from the first team roster and rehabilitated, but he didn’t, so it seems that he is resting for his fitness.
Kim Min-sung has been doing the dirty work to save the LG infield. He was initially slated to play second base alongside Seo Geon-chang and serve as a backup in all infield positions.
However, after a sudden injury to Oh Ji-hwan, he stepped in as a substitute shortstop and began to show his true colours. Kim Min-sung, who was a shortstop when he joined the team, had been playing third base for more than a decade. Nevertheless, he played solid defence at shortstop, minimising the gap left by Oh. With Seo Gun-chang showing signs of defensive instability, he took over as the starting second baseman after Oh’s return. He also played first and third base as needed.
His offence has been solid this season. He is batting 2-for-7 with 34 hits in 122 at-bats, including two home runs and 23 RBIs. He even blasted a grand slam against the SSG Landers on the 23rd to lead his team to victory. He is tied for third on the team in RBIs with Moon Bo-kyung, behind Austin Dean (36) and Park Dong-won (34), so he has been an Altoran-like presence at the bottom of the order.
If Kim goes down with an injury, LG will be in trouble. Without Son Ho-young, who was supposed to be the No. 1 backup in the infield, there is no one else who can stabilise the defence. He’s been doing his job in the offence as well, so if he’s out, we’re in trouble.
It’s been a difficult season for Yeom, who has been dealing with injuries, and he’s hoping to be back to full strength in June. His number one priority is to prevent injuries. Kim Min-sung’s struggles caught Yeom’s eye and he gave him two solid days of rest before the 29th.