KIA Tigers’ MVP Kim Do-young’s Return Delayed; Kwak Do-gyu Out for Season
- Daewon Kang
- Apr 15
- 1 min read
April 15 2025
By Daewon Kang
Last year’s KBO regular season MVP, Kim Do-young will have a delayed return. In addition, KIA’s key bullpen pitcher, Kwak Do-gyu is expected to miss the rest of the season due to surgery.
On the 14th, the KIA club announced,
“Kim Do-young underwent another MRI examination at Seonhan Hospital, following the one conducted on the 3rd. After cross-checking the MRI images with Sejong Sports Orthopedic Clinic, the diagnosis showed that the injured area has not fully healed. Therefore, he will focus on rehabilitation and treatment for about a week before undergoing another evaluation.”
Kim sustained a left hamstring injury on March 22 during the home opener against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. A detailed examination revealed a Grade 1 strain (no muscle tear or tissue damage). Since then, he has been focusing on recovery and rehabilitation. He was initially expected to return around the 15th, but now he will need at least one more week.
Meanwhile, Kwak Do-gyu was diagnosed with a flexor muscle and ligament injury in his left elbow after undergoing an MRI scan. KIA stated that he is scheduled to undergo medial collateral ligament reconstruction surgery. He was removed from the first-team roster on the 12th due to elbow pain.
Last season, Kwak contributed to the team’s championship run by appearing in 71 games, pitching 55 2/3 innings with a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, 2 saves, 16 holds, and an ERA of 3.56. However, this season, he has struggled, posting a 13.50 ERA over 4 innings in 9 games.
