There is a possibility that Park Chan-ho (28, KIA), KIA’s starting shortstop and this year’s KBO League Golden Glove candidate for shortstop, will return to normal play sooner than expected. Exactly when he will return to the starting lineup is undecided, but it is likely that the originally expected period will be extended.

Chan-Ho Park completed batting training outdoors ahead of the game against LG scheduled to be held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 19th. It was not a swing with 100% power, but a simple hitting exercise. However, this itself is a much faster return than expected. Park Chan-ho did light hitting training indoors on the 18th, but the pain was not severe, so he moved the stage to the outdoors on the 19th.

KIA coach Kim Jong-guk explained Park Chan-ho’s condition, saying, “It seems like he has improved faster than expected. He did batting training on the field, and although he is in a little pain, he seems to have improved a lot.” Coach Kim welcomed, “Yesterday, I did (hitting training) indoors, but they said there was no pain indoors, so I went out to the field. I think I’m improving much faster than I thought.”

Director Kim also said that the speed of recovery was unexpected. Park Chan-ho expressed his enthusiasm, saying that he could play in the game today, but Coach Kim dissuaded him from doing so and plans to have him stand by as a substitute defender or pinch runner in the second half of the game, as he has done so far.

Still, it’s a good thing. This is because the speed of recovery is much faster than initially expected. There are no problems with defense and base running, but if he doesn’t hit, he can’t return to the starting lineup. And it was predicted that it would take about three weeks for him to return to batting.

Because of this, I was worried that in the worst case scenario, I would end up having to start games on the bench until the end of September. However, at this point, he is on pace to return to the starting lineup as early as this week or at the latest next week.

Chan-Ho Park injured his left fourth finger while sliding headfirst to first base after hitting a grounder to shortstop in the 5th inning against Samsung in Daegu on the 12th. Although the club discourages head-first sliding, it was an instinctive action. Because he was in pain, he was immediately replaced in the game, and after a detailed examination in Gwangju on the 13th, it was determined that his finger ligaments were damaged.

Since the hand was wearing his glove, there were no problems with defense or base running. KIA, which judged that there was no better pinch runner or defender than Chan-ho Park on the team, did not expunge Park Chan-ho from the first team but left him on. The idea was that he would come on when needed late in the game. In fact, Park Chan-ho tuned up his condition by playing as a defensive player in the second half of the game against Doosan in Gwangju on the 18th. However, his hitting also recovers quickly.

Coach Kim said, “He wants to run right away today. He said that if he adds a little more taping, there may be no more pain,” but he plans to carefully monitor the condition for now. Coach Kim added, “Yesterday, I played as a defender, and today, if possible, I’m thinking of being a defender or a pinch runner. He said he wanted to play today as well, but he asked me to stand by only in the second half.” However, he acknowledged his motivation, saying, “I think Park Chan-ho is also thinking a lot about going out on the field because he likes that style of leading the game, running, running, and defending.”

Chan-ho Park is expected to continue batting training and monitor his condition in the future. No matter how well you tape it, it is a sensitive area. One foul can be a catalyst that makes the situation worse. There is a reason why Coach Kim is cautious about the player’s will. As he practiced hitting on the field on the 19th, he is likely to continue training on the 20th and monitor the situation. And once the pain goes away to some extent and he is able to hit, he is expected to return to the starting lineup.

Coach Kim said, “Defense and base running are possible. Park Chan-ho just needs to hit. The timing of his return to the starting lineup will vary depending on how much pain it hurts to hit. I think the taping will also vary a little depending on how it is done.” As Choi Won-jun is about to join the Asian Games national team, it would be perfect if Park Chan-ho could return to the starting lineup only this weekend.

Starting catcher Kim Tae-gun, who has an ankle sprain, is also improving. Coach Kim said, “I took a break yesterday because I thought I needed a little management. Seungtaek will be the starter today, but he can play in the second half. Starting tomorrow, he can also start.” Lee Woo-sung’s condition has improved significantly and he is now able to participate in normal games.먹튀검증

Meanwhile, KIA deleted Hwang Dong-ha from the first team entry after he left a mark due to his poor performance against Doosan in Gwangju on the 18th. Coach Kim said, “We will adjust the rotation in 10 days,” and expressed his intention to add more players as starters in the future. Kim Ki-hoon was announced as the starter for the Gwangju Kiwoom match on the 20th.

Ahead of the game against LG in Gwangju on the 19th, KIA has Wonjun Choi (center fielder) – Doyoung Kim (third baseman) – Seongbeom Na (right fielder) – Hyeongwoo Choi (designated hitter) – Seonbin Kim (second baseman) – Socrates (left fielder) – Daein Hwang (first baseman) – The batting order was set in the order of Han Seung-taek (catcher) and Kim Gyu-seong (shortstop). The starter on this day was Yang Hyeon-jong. Yang Hyeon-jong, who is making his 378th career start on this day, plans to set an all-time record by surpassing the previous KBO record of Song Jin-woo (377 games).