After finishing second in the regular season, KT Wiz was leisurely preparing for fall baseball when an emergency struck. Kang Baek-ho, a key part of the team’s offense, has been injured and will not be able to participate in the postseason, including the playoffs.
Kang Baek-ho started as the No. 5 designated hitter against the team’s own Blue-Black Game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 26th. KT was preparing for the playoffs against the NC Dinos to get a feel for the game.
However, something went wrong for Kang Baek-ho in his first at-bat. Facing Wes Benjamin, Kang felt unwell after his swing and was immediately substituted and taken to the hospital.
Both the club and the player hoped it wasn’t a serious injury, but their fears were realized. “During the Blue-Black game, Kang Baek-ho felt pain in his right side and underwent an MRI examination at a hospital near the stadium, and was diagnosed with a right adductor muscle injury,” a KT team official explained.
In the regular season, the timing of his return could be adjusted as he recovers, but with a short-term battle ahead, it’s unlikely he’ll make the playoff roster. Even if the team wins the playoffs and advances to the Korean Series, there’s a good chance he won’t see the field. A key member of the batting lineup who was looking forward to fall baseball has been declared out for the season.
Now in his sixth year as a professional, Kang is one of the most dominant hitters in the league and on his team, but he’s had a tougher year than ever this year.
After batting .280 with 26 hits in 93 at-bats in April, including four home runs and 13 RBIs, he struggled from mid-May onward. His body wasn’t 100%, and his mind and body didn’t cooperate, and he ended the regular season without playing 100 games for the second straight year (71). His days in the second team became longer, and players and fans alike waited for him to get back on track.
It wasn’t until September that Kang Baek-ho began to show signs of improvement. After coming in as a pinch-hitter and hitting a grand slam in a home game against SSG Landers on March 8, he gradually picked up his hitting game and went on a six-game hitting streak starting against Samsung Lions on March 14 before heading to the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. For a team that was in the thick of the race for second place as the regular season came to a close, Kang’s rebound was a huge boost. 굿모닝토토 도메인
Baekho Kang has also made his mark on the international scene. Earlier this month, he was named to the Korean baseball team for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where he was in fine form throughout the tournament, spearheading the offense. The team returned home with a gold medal, a far cry from the attitude controversies at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (to be held in 2021) and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
“I always feel sorry for myself in international competitions, but not this time,” Kang said after winning gold at the Asian Games.