"I Was Hit in the Face by the Ball" KIA's Kim Do-young Suffers Nasal Fracture in Major Blow... South Korean National Team Under Manager Ryu Ji-hyun on High Alert

[Financial News] KIM Do-young, the “star player” of the professional baseball team Kia Tigers, suffered a major setback after being struck in the face by his own bunt during a game, resulting in a nasal bone fracture. The South Korean national baseball team under manager Ryu Ji-hyun is also on high alert ahead of the opening of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
KIM Do-young started as the No. 3 batter and third baseman in the Kia Tigers’ home game against the NC Dinos in the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on September 9, but suffered an unexpected injury.
With the team trailing 0-3 and no outs with a runner on first in the bottom of the fourth inning, KIM Do-young came to the plate and attempted a surprise bunt on the first pitch, a 148-kilometer-per-hour fastball from NC starter Song Myung-gi. However, the ball glanced off the bat, bounced straight up and struck KIM Do-young directly in the nose.
Stunned, KIM Do-young collapsed while bleeding from the nose and covered his face with an ice pack handed to him by a trainer who ran onto the field. After deciding he could not continue batting, he repeatedly kicked the ground and shouted as he walked back to the dugout, expressing intense frustration and anger. Kia Tigers immediately sent pinch-hitter Yoo Min to the plate.
KIM Do-young was immediately taken to Central Hospital, the team-designated medical facility, where he underwent X-ray and CT scans. Medical staff diagnosed him with a nasal bone fracture. A Kia Tigers official explained, "We will decide on the treatment method and his future schedule after receiving additional medical opinions and reassessing the player's condition," adding, "Fortunately, his condition is not extremely serious, but we will need to monitor him for the time being." Although fears of a season-ending injury have been avoided, he is expected to be unable to play normally for some time because of the fracture.
KIM Do-young’s sudden departure dealt a major blow not only to the fourth-place Kia Tigers, who are in the midst of a tight race for the standings, but also to the national team ahead of the Asian Games. The timing was particularly unfortunate, as he had been displaying peak hitting form and had reached 40 home runs in a single season the previous day, becoming the first homegrown batter in Tigers history to do so. KIM Do-young also missed the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago after suffering an ankle injury before the tournament, creating another uncertainty over his participation.
Meanwhile, the day’s professional baseball results produced contrasting fortunes among the top teams battling for position.
Second-place KT Wiz defeated first-place Samsung Lions 2-0, combining starter Ko Young-pyo’s seven scoreless innings with Kim Hyun-soo’s go-ahead two-run homer to close within half a game of the lead. In contrast, third-place LG Twins suffered a 3-19 rout against seventh-place Hanwha Eagles after giving up 18 hits, falling into a four-game losing streak. The Kia Tigers, without KIM Do-young, narrowly lost 4-5 to the NC Dinos and suffered their second straight defeat, missing the chance to close the gap on third-place LG Twins.
At Jamsil, ninth-place SSG Landers escaped a two-game losing streak by defeating fifth-place Doosan Bears 1-0, powered by Lee Ro-woon’s strong performance in earning his first career starting-pitcher win. Doosan’s Gwak Been pitched seven innings and allowed one run, setting a new club record for the most strikeouts in a single season by a homegrown pitcher with more than 181, but took the loss because of his team’s silent offense.
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter