Would the Kia Tigers never have had such a bitter day even after winning the championship? It has no choice but to pay close attention to ace James Nail’s jaw injury.스포츠토토
At the match against the Changwon NC Dinos on Monday, Nail earned 12 wins (five losses) in the season by allowing four hits, one strikeout, three outs and no run. Together with Won Tae-in of the Samsung Lions, Nail and KIA won multiple games. However, both Nail and KIA won only with injuries.
The ‘2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, KIA Tigers and LG Twins’ game was held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2024. KIA starter Nail is delighted after pitching six scoreless innings./My Daily
It was in the top of the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead. Leading hitter Matt Davidson’s ball hit Nail on the face. Tomorrow, he bowed his head after being hit with orthodoxy around his right jaw. Afterwards, he wrapped his hands around his chin and quickly went down to the third base dugout. According to an official at Kia, there was bleeding.
Nails were immediately transferred to the hospital for a thorough examination. Detailed results have not yet been released, but it is highly likely that they will skip at least the next game. This is the area of health, not baseball. Even if the jaw, teeth, and gums are not severe, it is impossible to throw a normal pitch right away. This is because you have to put strength on your face when pitching.
The worst-case scenario that KIA and Nail do not want to think about is not just skipping one start but also taking a break for a certain period of time. The absence of key players is definitely damaging because it is the last minute of the season. Moreover, Nail is Kia’s ace. Even though Nail’s power has somewhat declined since the middle of the season, she is still a top-class pitcher in the KBO.
Perhaps, Kia’s starting lineup this year will be wiped out for a while except for Yang Hyeon-jong in the opening starting rotation. For now, opener Will Crow said goodbye to the match against the Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on May 3. He thoroughly checked shoulder issues, but was put on the operating table due to elbow injury.
Lee Eui-ri followed. Lee Eui-ri disappeared after the game against the Changwon NC Dinos on May 29. He has undergone Tommy John surgery and has started rehabilitation. The game will remain closed until at least the first half of next year. As Lee Eui-ri was virtually no longer active after the game against the Gwangju LG Twins on April 10, the best-case scenario for starting lineup management was broken at the same time as the game opened. Lee and Crowe’s departure put considerable load on the KIA bullpen. This led to a slump in the bullpen and a decline in performance.
Hwang Dong-ha and Cam Aldred made up their share. However, Aldred was ultimately rejected. In the meantime, Yoon Young-chul went into a long-term absence after the match against Gwangju SSG Landers on July 13. He had been taking care of his back, but he had a problem. He is resting due to a fatigue fracture in his spine. It is not a season out, but he has no promise to return. In the worst case, there is a possibility of a season out.
And this is the day of his nails. There is little chance that his nails will fail to come back like the previous three pitchers. However, if he needs to take a break for a certain period of time, damage as much as the three will likely come to the KIA mound. He underwent an examination at Changwon Samsung Hospital, and rumors say it is not a good situation. Emergency lights can be turned on even in the lead-up solo mode, which was actually getting solidified.
Except for Yang Hyun-jong, Kia’s opening starting rotation is likely to be wiped out even temporarily. In fact, considering that Yang Hyun-jong also had a short break due to a load on his arm, it is true that the management of Kia’s starting lineup this year is very difficult.
KIA put Eric Lauer and Kim Do-hyun in the starting lineup along with Yoon Young-chul’s departure and Aldred’s retirement. Under these circumstances, if the nail leaves even for a while, coach Lee Bum-ho’s mind will likely become complicated again. There are substitute starters, but there are a few things to pay attention to, including the weight of the starting lineup and the risk of increasing fatigue in the bullpen, which has barely stabilized in August. At this point, we can only hope that the period of absence of nails will be minimized.