The injury to KIA captain Kim Sun-bin (34) is unfortunate, but not necessarily a bad thing. Kim Do-young (20) has a new job.
KIA infielder Kim Do-young has been playing in the Futures League since the 20th. On the 20th, he played third base, his primary position, and on the 21st, he played second base. In two games, he went 6-for-6 with a .500 batting average, two runs scored, one walk, and an OPS of 1.571, which is pretty good considering he hadn’t played since injuring his ankle against SSG in Incheon on April 2.
His time at second base was the most notable. Kim hasn’t really played second base since joining the team. Of course, he’s seen the position in high school, but surprisingly, he doesn’t have enough experience at any other position besides shortstop. His current position, third base, was also something he trained intensively on as soon as he joined the team. He can also play second base if he gains experience in practice.메이저놀이터
The reason KIA used Kim Do-young at second base is to fill the gap left by Kim Sun-bin in the first team. Kim is out for at least the first half of the season with a fractured right thumb. For now, multi-backup Kim Kyu-sung is playing second base. Eventually, when Kim Do-young returns to the first team, he will likely play second base until Kim Sun-bin returns, and Kim Kyu-sung will return to his original multi-backup role. In other words, it’s clear that KIA has high hopes for Kim Do-young. There’s no denying that the potential is huge.
Kim’s return to the first team could be as early as next week for a three-game midweek home series against Kiwoom, or as late as a three-game weekend series against LG. Even if Kim doesn’t return until the start of the second half of the season, it’s best for KIA to use Kim Do-young at second base to minimize Kim’s absence. Given the balance of the offense, it makes sense. Given Kim’s potential and ability, it’s good to give him some at-bats.
In that sense, it makes sense for Kim to play second base. Even if he comes back, he won’t be able to play third base for a while. We have Ryu Ji-hyuk, who has been playing well this season. Kim Do-young and Ryu Ji-hyuk can coexist for the time being with Kim Sun-bin out. Once Kim returns, Kim will be able to compete with Ryu for third base in earnest.
In the long run, Kim’s time at second base makes sense. He can play every position in the infield except first base. In any case, the KIA infield is likely to be centered around Park Chan-ho and Kim Do-young in the future. Some fans are looking forward to seeing if the shortstop-Kim Do-young-2B-Park Chan-ho plan materializes. For now, it makes sense to get a taste of the shortstop/outfielder combo and utilize Kim Do-young more.
More positions means more room to maneuver. This is especially encouraging for a player with Kim’s athleticism and potential. If he can’t realistically develop into a full-time shortstop right away, it’s not a bad idea to try out different positions.
Kim ended up playing every position in the infield except first base in his sophomore year. This is a blessing in disguise for Kim. If the Kia infield is going to be centered around him at some point, playing second base is a big deal. Kia fans will have to wait for his time to come.