KIA's Kim Doyoung Undergoes Surgery for Fractured Nose, Determined to Play in Asian Games

KIA Tigers star hitter Kim Doyoung, who fractured his nose after being hit in the face by a batted ball during a game, has undergone surgery.

The professional baseball club KIA announced on the 10th, "Kim Doyoung underwent a nasal bone fracture reduction surgery at a hospital designated by the club on the night of the 9th," adding, "He is scheduled to be discharged on the 11th after receiving inpatient treatment."

A nasal bone fracture reduction surgery is a procedure to realign a broken nose back to its original position.

The recovery period varies depending on the patient's condition and the severity of the injury.

A club official stated, "We will determine Kim Doyoung's return timeline after monitoring his recovery status," and added, "For now, we do not plan to remove him from the first-team roster.

We plan to decide on the timing of his skill training after observing his recovery following his discharge."

During the home game against the NC Dinos in the 2026 KBO League held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 9th, Kim attempted a surprise bunt with no outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the 4th inning while trailing 0 to 3. He was substituted after being hit in the face by a batted ball that ricocheted off his bat.

He immediately moved to a hospital designated by the club for examinations and was diagnosed with a fractured nose.

This season, Kim has recorded a batting average of 0.306, 40 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 122 games, delivering a regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP)-caliber performance.

In addition, he was selected for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national baseball team led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, and is scheduled to join the national team on the 14th before moving to Nagoya, Japan, on the 17th.

Kim is reportedly showing a strong determination to push ahead with participating in the Asian Games.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.