The return of Na Sung-bum (35), a big gun representing the KIA Tigers, is in the countdown. He will not join the game on the 28th, and will be with the first team next week.
Na Sung-beom started as the third designated hitter in the 2024 KBO Futures League game against Sangmu at Hampyeong Stadium on the 27th and recorded one hit in three times at bat.
Na had a hit in the middle in his first at-bat, and was out after hitting a fly ball to the center field in his second at-bat. In his third at-bat, he recorded one hit in three times at bat, and was replaced without a run or an RBI, finishing his game on the day.메이저놀이터
Na Sung-beom was diagnosed with damage to his right hamstring while running base in an exhibition game against the KT Wiz at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on March 17.
Na had a calf injury during the 2023 World Baseball Classic early last year and returned to his team at the end of June. He also injured the same part in mid-September last year. He was injured again in six months at an exhibition game last month. It was Na who had been injured three times in his leg. In 58 games this season, Na had a batting average of 0.365 (81 hits in 222 times at bat), 18 homers, 57 RBIs, 51 runs scored and OPS (on-base plus slugging) with 1.098.
After the injury, Na focused on rehabilitation and played in the Futures League’s actual game for the first time. Coach Lee Bum-ho told reporters ahead of the match against LG in Jamsil on Tuesday, “Na Sung-bum played today. I watched the video clip of him playing, and it was good. It was not bad. So I participated in the game after discussing with him and his training part. “I will not send him full-time from the beginning. I think I can sing it when I am ready.”
“If I call up to the first team, I will use it as a designated hitter and substitute. After training in the outfield defense and running, I have to do what I trained in the second team as well,” coach Lee Bum-ho said. “I will send out my defense little by little if I think it will be okay once I adjust to a certain level,” adding, “I am fully fit now, but I am thinking of putting in the first team while controlling it for about five to seven days just in case. It can be burdensome to ask them to do 100 percent as soon as they move up to the first team.”
On his exact call-up plan, Lee said, “He won’t come on the 28th. He will have a home game (against KT) next week. Since chances are high that he will call-up based on the match on the 30th or (left-hander) Benjamin will be selected as the starting member of KT on the 30th, I will decide after consulting with the training part to decide whether to post it on the 31st.”
Na Sung-bum will return to the team. If Na returns, the Kia Tigers will likely strengthen even further. “When Na returns, there will be only that much difference between Kim Do-young and Kim Do-young at the third or the second,” Lee said. “The synergy effect is quite good if (Kim) Do-young and (B) Sung-bum are put together. I think we need to think about that part more. If the second batter is in good condition, it would be a good idea to lower the number to third or fourth. On the contrary, if the second batter is in poor condition, the team is considering raising the number to second or third. It could be better probabilistically to have more players in good condition hit. I will change the situation gradually from day to day after I see the condition,” Lee stressed.
Among the 10 teams this season, Kia ranks first with a batting average of 0.295 (as of the end of the game on Tuesday, second to LG’s 0.290) among them. If Na returns, “Park Chan-ho, Kim Do-young, Na Sung-bum, Choi Hyung-woo, Socrates, Lee Woo-sung, Kim Sun-bin, Kim Tae-gun, and Choi Won-jun” will be deployed at the appropriate batting order. They are truly dreadful batters. With Na’s return, the strong lineup of Kia will likely strengthen even further.