“They are playing a much better role than I expected.”
The NC Dinos, led by manager Kang In-kwon, are missing starting catcher Park Se-hyuk due to injury. Park Se-hyuk was left out of the first team lineup on the 14th of last month due to left wrist tendonitis problem. Another exclusion after being excluded from the first team entry due to shock after being hit in the back of the head by a bat swung by foreign batsman Guillermo Heredia during the defense against SSG Landers on April 14.
Park Se-hyuk, who left the Doosan Bears and came to NC in exchange for a total of 4.6 billion won ahead of this season, had a batting average of 0.212, 47 hits, 4 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 31 runs in 79 games. He is a source of strength to young pitchers with his stable catcher lead. Such a departure due to injury is bound to be a huge disappointment for NC.토토사이트
Coach Kang In-kwon said, “We haven’t started technical training yet. “He is focusing on treatment now,” he sighed. In addition, backup catcher Ahn Jung-yeol was also excluded from the entry due to damage to the right adductor muscle.
However, after a crisis comes opportunity. There is a player who is excellent at filling Park Se-hyuk’s injury gap. This is Hyungjun Kim. Kim Hyeong-jun, who graduated from Gadong Elementary School, Sekwang Middle School, and Se Gong High School, joined NC in the 2nd first round in 2018 with the 9th pick, recorded a batting average of 0.227, 59 hits, 5 home runs, 22 RBIs, and 31 runs in 159 games for the first team until the 2020 season.
Kim Hyung-jun suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in August last year, just before being discharged. He returned in May, but had to take another hiatus after suffering ligament damage to his right ankle after stepping on a ball during training.
Then, Kim Hyung-jun returned to action on July 5th through the Futures Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu) match. He showed a strong batting average of 0.321 in July and 0.290 in August, and received his first first-team call-up of the season on the 23rd of last month.
Initially, coach Kang In-kwon said, “We need to check more about putting him in the first team. He was named to the Asian Games national team, and he should not be in the first team and not be able to play and lose sense,” he said. “It would be okay if he could continue to play in the first team, but it is a little difficult to do that.” “He will maintain his senses by playing consistently in Futures and then think about his call-up during the expanded entry in September,” he said. Since two catchers were out due to injuries, Kim Hyeong-jun was brought up.
Kim Hyung-jun is giving strength to NC with his performance exceeding everyone’s expectations. In 8 games, he has a batting average of .318 with 7 hits, 4 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. More than half of his hits are home runs. There is power. Although the sample is small, it is clear that his performance raises expectations. He was not selected as a member of the national team for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games for nothing.
Director Kang In-kwon also gave his thumbs up, saying, “He is playing much better roles than I expected.”
He continued, “I believe in Kim Hyung-jun’s abilities. “I think he will perform better,” he said. “As he continues to play, he seems to be feeling physical ups and downs. “He will work harder on managing his physical strength and condition.”
Manager Kang In-kwon previously said, “As a catcher, I have strong opinions. Kim Hyung-jun’s shoulder is a part that cannot be acquired. He has good innate talent. In addition, he developed solid basic skills as a catcher when he was young and has grown. “He is a player with high potential,” he said.
Kim Hyeong-jun is said to be the future of Korean baseball beyond NC. We can look forward to his future even more.