Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers celebrates after hitting a single against the KT Wiz during the clubs' KBO regular-season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Sept. 6.YONHAP
Former Korean baseball MVP Kim Do-yeong has undergone surgery to repair a broken nose, his club announced Thursday, as his status for the upcoming Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 hangs in the balance.
The Kia Tigers of the KBO said Kim had his operation late Wednesday night, hours after suffering the injury on an ill-fated bunt attempt during a game against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju.
After the ball ricocheted off his bat and struck his face, Kim started bleeding immediately, prompting a team trainer to run out of the dugout and cover the player's face with a towel. Kim was soon removed from the game for a pinch hitter.
The Tigers said Kim will be released from the hospital Friday, and they will keep monitoring his recovery before setting a timetable for his return. A team official said the injury is not considered serious, and Kim will remain on the active roster for now.
Kim, 22, is in the midst of a bounceback season after appearing in just 30 games in 2025 due to multiple hamstring injuries. Kim has played in all 122 games for the Tigers so far this season, though the surgery will end that streak Thursday.
The 2024 KBO MVP has been widely regarded as a strong contender for another MVP award this year. He leads the league with a career-high 40 home runs and 105 runs scored while also ranking among the leaders in other major offensive categories, such as RBIs, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Kim's absence will be a big blow to the Tigers as they jostle for a postseason berth, but it will perhaps be even more devastating for the national team competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Kia Tigers slugger Kim Do-yeong rounds the bases after hitting his 40th home run during a game against the Samsung Lions at the Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sept. 8.YONHAP
The young slugger was expected to bat in the heart of the lineup for a team gunning for its fifth consecutive gold medal at the continental event. National team manager Ryu Ji-hyun said the Tigers will send a detailed medical report on Kim's condition to the national team staff Friday.
“We will review doctors' opinions and keep an eye on his recovery through the weekend before making our decision on his status,” Ryu said.
National team members, all of them KBO stars, are scheduled to open training camp Tuesday in Seoul and to depart for Nagoya on Sept. 18. Korea's first game is against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 21.
