Kim Kwang-hyun (35-SSG Landers), who was suspended for drinking alcohol during the first round of the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Tokyo, Japan, in March, has made his comeback.
Kim made a start against the Changwon NC Dinos on April 11 and threw 83 pitches, allowing five hits, one home run, two walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. He was removed from the mound after allowing a 2-3 count, but escaped the loss thanks to the batters tying the game in the top of the sixth inning.
Kim Kwang-hyun, who made his 10th appearance in as many days after being removed from the first-team roster, took off his hat and bent at 90 degrees to greet the fans in the stands as he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning. It was another apology to the fans, who may have been even more disappointed after it was later revealed that he drank alcohol at a Tokyo nightclub during the tournament, which ended in the team’s first-round exit from the WBC.
In his first start in 22 days since resigning against the Lotte Giants on March 20, the right-hander showed off his power with a fastball that reached 148 kilometers per hour on the day, but after the batting order rotated, he began to be exploited. He gave up a solo home run to leadoff hitter Park Geon-woo in the fourth inning, then a leadoff double to Kim Sung-wook with one out in the fifth before being replaced by Moon Seung-won.
Kim Kwang-hyun, who was originally scheduled to start against the Incheon Samsung Lions on the 1st and the Gwangju KIA Tigers on the 7th due to the drinking scandal, is expected to rejoin the starting rotation today. Following Kim, Lee Yong-chan (34-NC) and Jeong Chul-won (24-Dusan Bears), who were excluded from the first team roster on the second day, will also return after fulfilling their 10 days of eligibility. 스포츠토토
Kim Kwang-hyun, Lee Yong-chan and Jeong Chul-won will have to serve their punishments from the KBO’s punishment committee. On July 7, the KBO Punishment Committee handed down fines and community service to the trio for drinking alcohol at a Tokyo nightlife bar during the WBC. Kim Kwang-hyun, who visited the bar twice, received a fine of 5 million won and 80 hours of community service, while Lee Yong-chan and Jung Chul-won, who visited the bar once, received a fine of 3 million won and 40 hours of community service.